Beyond the Music
by Anne Burnside
Summary: The Opera House stands vacant after the events of the phantom. Years later, a revival occurs with a brash new owner who forces a new director into his demands for power in society by using the publicity of the Opera House.
1. Chapter 1

Beyond the Music

By

Anne Burnside

_Author's Note: This is an extremely detailed story with a warning that it has a bittersweet ending. You must be patient with it as it is the details that bring the story together. I am not a writer so my apology in advance for grammar and/or spelling errors – I try to catch them as I can but my main goal was to get this story out of my head that I have been carrying around for years. When I am finished with the story, I plan to go back and revise to release for a final version._

The hammering and pounding went on for days. Someone was bringing the opera house to life once again. He knew it would happen eventually. Something so beautiful would surly one day be noticed again. The opera house had fallen into disrepair, vacant with the last performance almost two years ago. At that time the opera house was abandoned – no one wanted to come near it after the events that happened. The falling chandelier, the strange night of singing with Christine Daae that led to violence. No one was clear what had happened but it struck terror in so many that none dared to try again. The owner declared bankruptcy and left.

But now there was the feeling of change. One that was loud and audible not only within but throughout the city of Paris. He felt it. To his relief however, the tale and legend still existed, and no one seemed to dare venture down below the Opera House. It seemed he was safe, at least for a while.

Not that the change didn't make him wonder and grow with concern. The past two years he had lived silently other than the music in his head. He ventured out into the night only when he needed to, rarely leaving his home. To most, it would be too much loneliness to bear. But he now found it rather oddly content given the circumstances of his past.

But now that quiet life was to be interrupted. At night he began to once more climb up to the Opera House. He began to watch with some interest at the restoration that was taking place. Each day a little more progress was being made. The theater seats were cleaned and some of them replaced. The walls ornate with gold angels were beginning to shine once again. It also appeared that work was being done in the middle of the ceiling where the chandelier had once hung. Perhaps a new one was going to be put in its place.

Despite all of this renovation, he had yet to see any attempt being made on an actual stage production. It was clear to him that this was certainly not an area of concern at the moment. He heard continued instructions during the day being said to the various workers that the visual images of the entire Opera House, especially the theater, were intended to be fully restored to its original beautification.

He continued to stay, for the most part, underneath the Opera House still trying to live the quiet life he had finally come to know. Then one day he heard singing.

Not the best signing, that was certain. It was something of a chorus, though not a very talented one. Still, he quietly made his way to Box 5 to view what it was he was hearing. He found a very young group of singers, a group that obviously had little or no experience in the Opera. There was a man that seemed to be selecting singers from a larger group, though it didn't appear if he had the talent to know what it was he was choosing.

He retreated back down below slightly disappointed. But perhaps in time, the actual music would return to its full glory. In the meantime, he would have to endure the amateur singing that would be taking over. Though he had to admit, the stir was bringing him somewhat back to life. His creative mind was stirring more, allowing him to compose even more complex pieces.

He was particularly involved in concentration one day, almost not even hearing the inexperienced chorus trying to sing, when the singing suddenly changed somehow. It was actually sounding more in tune, more than he had ever expected. Suddenly he was listening to what sounded like warm up exercises of the different voices something he knew none of them would have known how to even begin practicing.

He began to wonder if they had brought in an actual experienced director. Perhaps someone who could suddenly restore what opera was meant to be. He looked down at his music and tried to go back to concentrating. But the singing was growing stronger, if not even a little better in just these last few moments.

He put down his pen and got up reaching for his cloak. He quietly climbed the stairs and ramps to the opera house, reached the theater, and went up to box 5. He stood behind the curtain, and slowly peered around it.

He saw the chorus standing on the stage with somewhat of an amusing determination now on their faces. Before them stood a man and a woman. The man was issuing some instructions between scales. He looked very young, too young to be an experienced director. The woman appeared older, though still very young looking. She was watching silently, but with a serious look upon her face as she eyed the various singers attempting the warm up exercises.

The young man was now moving about the chorus, selecting individuals to come forward and sing scales. Some pairs would sing together, working to blend their voices by his instructions. They seem to be getting the just of what they were doing, and with each small success in blending their voices they began to show more enthusiasm.

_Well, he may be quite young, but at least he seemed to know something_.

Still, he was somewhat feeling a bit of disappointment though he wasn't quite sure why. He should have known with such an inexperienced cast, whoever was renovating the Opera House had no understanding of music. It would be a surprise to think a more experienced director would be hired.

He sighed quietly and turned to head back down. But then a loud voice, almost a shout, carried across the theater. He turned to look and saw an older man striding across the stage raising his voice over the singing so he could be heard. The man was thin, almost wiry, and his long legs carried him quickly.

The chorus, startled, stopped and looked at him. He motioned to the woman and she moved forward to speak with him. The man turned and was quickly walking off backstage with her following.

He looked at the Chorus who had suddenly gone very quiet. The young man had almost an uncertainty look upon his face as if he was almost not quite sure what to do next. But he turned back to the chorus and made them continue with their scales.

He turned and headed down the steps in the secret passage behind the balcony. But when he got to the main landing he couldn't help but hear something of a commotion. More voices were speaking in louder tones echoing through the large entry hall. He peered around a doorway in time to see the woman disappearing into the Music room. Something made him decide to see what was happening, though he wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps the changes in the Opera House were arousing his overall interest. He just had the feeling of striking curiosity…something that he hadn't felt in quite a long time.

He crept along the back passageway to the Music Room. This was a very convenient room for him to see anything. The room had a number of large mirrors on each wall. Some of them, unknowingly to anyone, were made so he could see vividly through into the room. He stood behind one of them watching the man he had seen earlier already in the room. He seemed to be instructing the woman to stay where she was. He turned and left the room abruptly and more of the louder voices were heard echoing again.

Another man, not much older than him, was walking swiftly into the room. His entrance was somewhat loud, his shoes walking quite firmly on the floor. It was almost as if he was announcing his status as one would call a gentleman, though it more came off as arrogance. It was obvious from his fine silk suit, a rather large gold pocket watch chain gleaming from his vest underneath the tuxedo coat, that this was most likely that someone who was spending the money to restore the Opera House.

He walked straight up to the woman who had been left standing in the room after being instructed to do so. The other man who was in the room previously was walking quickly to catch up to him.

"Monsieur Garier, may I present Madame Duprey," he said breathlessly.

"So _this_ is the woman director," Monsieur Garier asked in a condescending voice.

Behind the mirror, his reaction was complete surprise. He looked at the woman who was standing there, who politely curtsied, not raising her head. He had never before heard of a woman who directed.

The man continued talking. "So….petite. Certainly not at all what one would expect for a woman who can direct opera. One would expect a more robust, taller woman to be in charge of a Company."

This was true. For the first time he took a closer look at her. She wasn't just short, but rather small. Petite was in fact the perfect word. She was dressed rather plainly, wearing a very simple light blue gown. Madame Duprey was a mature woman, definitely not an innocent looking girl, but still several years younger than him. She exhibited an appearance of unassuming grace with her poise and mannerisms, though she wore her hair only part way up, rather than all the way as most women did. The back of her hair fell down well below her shoulders with a few loose curls at the end. He thought to himself that it was actually very pretty even though it had far fewer curls than Christine's hair.

He paused for a moment in these thoughts. Why was he suddenly thinking of Christine and comparing this woman to her? This woman was nothing like Christine. That part in his life was over, done. He was only here to satisfy his interest in the ongoing of the Opera House renovation.

Monsieur Garier began to circle around her. "Certainly not very glamorous though, are you?" he asked, his eyes clearly roaming over her.

Madame Duprey did not move, her head lowered, her eyes looking at the floor. She gave no reaction to his question.

"Though I must say," he said suddenly stopping short in front of her and lifting her chin with his hand, "A fair, young face…with rosebud lips no less." He paused, looking into her eyes. His fingers were right below her chin, his thumb resting just under her lips. Her eyes for an instant looked up and met his, but quickly went back down to gazing at the floor.

From behind the mirror, his eyes narrowed at this inappropriate touch with a woman, especially one that this man had just met. Clearly there was had no interest in any of her skills as a director. He was only making sure she was decent enough to present. This was confirmed by Monsieur Garier turning toward the other man and smiling.

"She is exactly what we need."

The other man, hands behind his back, raised his chin and half smiled. His gaze shifted and fell directly on her. She had still not moved. "I must say, Monsieur that you made an excellent decision," said the man. He eyes came back to Monsieur Garier. "Have you given any thought to my suggestion on the guest opera singers?"

Monsieur Garier responded with a scoff. "Why on earth would I want to do that? I have spent enough money on the restoration of this Opera House. I don't need to spend more on some spoiled diva that I have to cater to."

The man's face looked slightly concerned. "But it is what the public will expect. And besides, some of their voices are extremely beautiful. It may draw large crowds to hear famous singers with the music we will be selecting."

Monsieur Garier glared at the man. "_She_ is the publicity," he said roughly. He returned his focus on Madame Duprey. "_Not_ the music."

Behind the mirror, he frowned slightly. He observed that for the first time that she raised her head and looked directly at Monsieur Garier. But it was somewhat of an expressionless gaze, almost entirely unemotional as if she was taking in some sort of just plain, factual information. Or was it some sort of strong will she had, a message that he was not going to break her?

Monsieur Garier glared back at her and she lowered her eyes with her head once more. He turned abruptly and strode out of the room, the other man quickly following him.

Madame Duprey stood there for a moment, still motionless. She quietly walked over to the grand piano in the room and sat down on the bench, gazing at the keys.

He had certainly had enough information for the day. He also suddenly felt as if he were intruding on a private moment of hers. She hadn't shown any emotion during the encounter with Monsieur Garier, and now, she appeared almost somber at the piano. He could not but help feel a bit sorry for her. Even if she didn't have talent, it was obvious now from her sadness that she cared enough to try.

It was time to leave. He turned and began to make his way down the back corridor, his thoughts dwelling on the conversation he had just heard. But he suddenly stopped in his tracks when he heard the piano playing.

She was actually very good. He didn't recognize the song she was playing. But just as soon as he was starting to listen, it abruptly stopped.

Then started.

Then stopped.

He suddenly heard a loud noise, somewhat like a thud, but also a low creaking sound. Curious, he turned back and peered through the mirror. He saw that she had lifted open and propped the top of the grand piano, something he was surprised she had done given her small physical size. She was peering inside, reaching in with her arm. She went back down and sat at the bench. She again began to play, and stopped with a look of irritation on her face.

He knew why. The piano was slightly out of tune. It had not been touched for the last few years though an attempt had been made recently by some of the orchestra musicians who had been in the room. He had observed them a few days before as they were having a good look around the large Opera House. One of them had automatically sat down at the piano upon seeing it and began to play. Both had attempted to tune the piano.

Tilting His head with interest behind the mirror, he had to admit he was somewhat impressed that she even heard the piano slightly out of tune. To the untrained ear, it would not have even been recognized.

She quickly got up and literally marched across the room where old trunks and boxes were temporarily piled against one of the walls. She knelt down and began to rummage through a trunk. After a few moments, it became quite apparent to him that she was growing rather impatient with whatever it was she could not find. He knew this because she was beginning to toss items out of the trunk, not even caring if they were heavier items such as various props like small statues and books. The items were landing on the floor hard, the noise echoing throughout the large room.

She lifted out of the trunk what appeared to be part of a skeleton of a human arm. She looked at it briefly in surprise, then simply frowned and tossed it aside. Most likely it was, of course fake, a prop of some sort. Or at least she certainly thought it was. However, he wasn't quite as sure. Over the years there had been so many numerous "things" that had taken to storage in the Opera House, including past reminders of the war when it was used to house prisoners. Not to mention a few untimely deaths when the Opera Ghost legend was at its peak.

She continued her search until finally she lifted out a tuning fork. She strode back over to the piano (stepping over the numerous items she had thrown on the floor), and began to use the tuning fork listening to the pitch and comparing to the notes she selected to play. She stood up and once again peered inside the piano. He watched as she reached in to adjust something.

But she realized that she was simply too short to reach whatever it was that had her concentration. She straightened back up slightly frowning. She took a quick step and jumped forward, lifting her entire body up and over the inside to reach where she wanted.

Once again, she completely surprised him. Seeing her do such a thing which would be considered definitely an "un-lady like" act. In fact, it was actually quite amusing to him as he saw her almost kicking her feet in the air to help her reach further inside.

She jumped back down to the floor and quickly sat down on the bench using the tuning fork playing once again a few notes. He realized that the sound of those few notes was already sounding better. However, she was certainly not satisfied as once again she stood and hopped up the side of the piano to reach inside.

He shook his head, still slightly amused at this and began to walk back down the corridor. But he stopped for a moment and turned to look at her again. She was definitely interesting, he gave her that. And maybe even a bit talented in her keen ear to the piano, though he wasn't quite sure this would extend to her directing. However, he found himself feeling somewhat pleased after the earlier conversation he had heard with Monsieur Garier not caring at all about music, only publicity.

He slowly walked down the corridor and down the steps leading to the catacombs below, still listening to the sounds of her tuning efforts.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A few weeks had passed since His first observation of Madame Duprey that one day. The young man he had seen on the stage giving instructions he now understood was her assistant. His name was Gautier, and he was very attentative in following her instructions. Sometimes she would give direction herself during their warm-up routine, other times Gautier would busily weave in and out of the cast singing out loud some of the scales to help them. Madame clearly used him to sing, though sometimes she would use the piano to demonstrate some of the melodies when they began to practice any actual songs.

The cast, though still inexperienced, was coming along quite well. In fact, several of them were beginning to be obvious selections for various leads in the upcoming production.

The most prominent of these potential singers was a rather young man by the name of Justine who had a very powerful, but controlled voice. He was also the most handsome of any of the men in the cast. With blonde hair, he was tall with broad shoulders. His chin was perfectly chiseled and his white smile was quick to catch the attention of the other women in the cast. In fact, he observed that the only problem with Justine was the obvious arrogance that he constantly displayed. But even this wasn't a complete flaw as Justine seemed to recognize this and had a way of almost making fun of him, a quality that offset some of his comments.

However, it was evident that Justine had absolute respect for Madame Duprey. Whenever she critiqued his acting or singing, Justine became very serious and worked hard to please her, something not very easy to do. Peering from behind the balcony curtain, He knew Justine had grown a great deal of confidence with his voice due to her. She was just as praising as she was challenging to the cast.

In the beginning days of rehearsal, Justine had his first encounter with Madame Duprey as he had made some sarcastic remarks about the scales that they continually practiced. Practicing scales was very boring to him and his frustration had been growing until finally he couldn't stand it.

"Perhaps Gautier, you will give us something even more thrilling than the last few scales to practice. Maybe we can even walk continuously in circles to see if we can start practicing our acting in the same boring way," Justine said mockingly.

Gautier wasn't quite sure how to react to this defiance of his instructions, and the rest of the cast watched anxiously to see what would happen. But Gautier didn't need to respond. Madame Duprey had heard Justine and came up right behind him. He nearly jumped out of his skin when she spoke as he obviously he didn't know she was standing there.

"Then perhaps, Justine," she said in a low tone, "you can demonstrate for the rest of the cast your talent with the upper range of the scale we just practiced. In fact, as you have obviously mastered that range, you can lead them in the rest of our warm up time," she said looking up at him. Madame Duprey's petite size did not appear to intimidate her standing before him as he towered over her.

Justine was obviously still flustered and somewhat embarrassed that he had been heard by her with his remarks to Gautier. He eyes looked down at the stage.

"Well?" Madame Duprey asked.

"I cannot," he said. "In fact, I admit that while I can hit the notes, they are so soft that the rest of the cast would not be able to hear me. Though they may see my big head quite clearly," he added jokingly.

Sitting and watching this exchange, he was taken aback that Justine had just admitted such a weakness despite his arrogant personality. But he had openly and willingly stated this before everyone. It was at that moment that he realized that Justine, despite his irritating behavior, knew when to acknowledge his mistakes. And learn. But at first, this didn't seem to be enough for Madame to demonstrate any forgiveness.

"If you can hit the notes, then you can sing them out loud," Madame Duprey said tilting her head slightly up at him.

"Now?" he asked.

"Or you can demonstrate your acting talent by walking in circles as you suggested. That is, if you want to remain in the cast," she said still looking at him.

Justine took a deep breath. She was serious. Realizing he had to face the task before him or walk in circles, he began to sing the scale slowly to the upper register. He was right, the higher his notes climbed, the less audible he was.

Madame Duprey walked directly behind him again and wrapped her arms around his stomach, her hands clasped together in a fist. This was obviously quite a shock to Justine as he stiffened and stopped singing. She tilted her head around and upward to Justine, so she could see him.

"Sing," she said.

Justine hesitated for a moment, his face looking bewildered, not sure how he should be reacting to her touch. He started to sing the scale again, but this time as his notes grew higher, it also became louder and he was able to hold each note longer. She was pressing on his stomach with her fist. Apparently it was rather hard as he even winced slightly. But it worked. The entire cast murmured as his singing had grown louder. He stopped singing and she released him, walking around in front of him.

"When I pressed in against you, you naturally pushed back harder, yes?"

He nodded.

If you breathe properly as we have been trying to practice, you will naturally develop those muscles. The harder you push with your muscles and not your vocal chords, you will master the notes more firmly, being able to hold them longer. You will find you can sing any note more loudly, but also with control," She looked at the rest of the chorus. "I expect all of you to practice this continually. Rehearsal does not end when you leave the theater," she said looking at all of them.

It was one of many lessons she would teach them in the coming weeks. It was apparent that their respect for her was growing. They worked hard, most even showing up quite early before rehearsal started so they could spend individual time with her to improve.

They were beginning to work on a number of songs in the production. As He suspected, Madame Duprey did in fact select Justine for the lead. Despite this, not many of the other men were jealous of Madame's selection. They observed quite often that she was harder on him more than anyone else. But he always took it in stride, never letting his spirits dampen. In addition to his smiling, Justine liked to laugh and make others laugh as well. He seemed well aware of his good looks that caught the attention of the women. However, Justine quickly gained the respect of his fellow male peers as he always took a step back when any woman would approach to talk when he was with another man or in a group. He always let the others take more of a lead, giving them the opportunity for the increased attention. But it was also clear that he could have any woman he wanted.

From behind the curtain in Box 5, He turned his attention to the other man standing near Gautier. If Justine was the lead male star in the cast, the next would be Andre. In fact, if Justine was not around, it was clear that Andre would be the choice for any leading role. While his voice was as not as strong in tone as Justine, Andre had quite a bit of natural talent. He could read music and enjoyed helping others practice, even during breaks. He was also fairly good looking, in fact similar to Justine but with dark hair and not as tall. He displayed a subdued confidence that carried him and quite easily gave the appearance of strength.

Over the past few weeks Andre and Justine became fast friends. The two of them were quite the pair together, displaying quite a bit of teasing to fellow cast members, even playing a number of jokes on the unsuspecting. Only when Madame Duprey approached, would they quickly become more serious, especially during the rehearsal of the songs they were learning. Despite their humorous nature, both were quite dedicated and truly enjoyed music. The more time spent with Madame Duprey, the more passionate they became during their singing and acting of the scenes.

Not that Madame Duprey minded their antics all the time. Despite her constant portrayal of professionalism, there were times He caught her smiling and shaking her head upon hearing various bantering between the two. They gave each other a jokingly harder time than anyone else, and she seemed quite amused at times when she heard them as she approached or walked away. Eventually they began to even do this directly in front of her, though she would only tolerate the commotion to a certain extent. Still, despite her seriousness, it appeared that Justine and Andre had unveiled a softer side to her personality, something that still seemed quite private.

They were taking a break in the rehearsal at the moment, and he observed three other men join Andre and Justine. One went by the name of Dion who was rather soft spoken and almost always gentleman-like. He was always extremely polite and rather shy, typically hesitant to be in any spotlight. Dion was rather ordinary looking and had nothing striking that would set him apart. But he was obviously there as he enjoyed music. In fact Dion often observed the orchestra intently as they practiced, sometimes even shutting his eyes during particular parts of the music.

The second man, named Armond, was learning against a wall chatting continuously. He was a shorter man, robust in size with a rather deep voice that Madame Duprey sought out many times when the chorus sang. His voice, when used properly, brought balance to many of the songs.

The third man, who was called Maurice, seemed to always follow along with the others. Like Dion, he was also fairly quiet, but when asked to give his opinion, he did not hesitate. He seemed fairly creative in his thinking, often thinking of new ideas to add to the production that sometimes Madame Duprey would use. Sometimes it was the placement of props or even finding the right look for the scene.

There were various other men aside from those in the chorus that were backstage workers, often assisting in the mechanics of the sets and other necessities. But there was one very short, small man that stood out. His name was Philippe, who was actually Maurice's younger brother. One may even think he was a midget with his size, yet he had the normal body proportions for his physique. Of all the people in the Company, he was indeed the most withdrawn.

Phillip's creative work was introduced to Madame Duprey one day after rehearsal had ended. She was having particular problems with the right look and feel of the sets. Monsieur Garier, of course, did not feel it was necessary to hire an artist when the Opera House had numerous backgrounds and structures such as backdrops, small houses, walls, and such that could be used. However many of these had not been used for some time and were old and faded. Despite the work the backstage assistants were providing to revitalize these items, it was still one of the largest concerns for Madame Duprey.

Maurice, who had tried to help with a number of ideas, approached her after a rehearsal, almost reluctantly which was not in his nature when it came to giving his opinion so freely. He observed Maurice giving Madame a fairly large book, then realized it was various sketches and other art. She looked fairly impressed, and He thought that perhaps Maurice was showing her some of his personal artistic work.

But the next day during one of the breaks, Maurice approached her with Philippe. She seemed to be expecting a meeting with someone, though was a bit surprised when introduced to Philippe most likely from his peculiar mannerisms. Philippe was so painfully shy that he constantly had his head down, rarely making eye contact with anyone, especially Madame Duprey. He always appeared quite nervous, glancing around him constantly and moving away when anyone approached. But Maurice that day was practically pushing him in front of Madame Duprey who was watching him with some interest.

Philippe had another large leather bound book in his hands, but when she asked to see it, he didn't respond. Maurice rolled his eyes and grabbed it from him, then gave it to her. She looked hesitantly at Maurice, but opened the book.

Now, it was already said that Madame Duprey would occasionally smile or carry a certain look of amusement on her face at times such as with Andre and Justine's antics. But for the first time, he saw her face light up with a particular happy smile that day as she looked closely at the various papers inside the book. She obviously liked what she saw and looked at Philippe.

"You did all this last night? All these sketches of the various sets?"

He nodded, not looking at her.

"And you think you can transform these into the backdrops we need in time?"

Again, he nodded, looking at the floor.

"You can speak freely to me," she said tilting her head while looking at him. "Your opinion would be much appreciated. In fact, I am very impressed with your artistic ability and would like to know some of your thoughts." She was always encouraging opinions it seemed from the cast. Perhaps because given so little time with the preparation of the upcoming production, Madame Duprey truly appreciated any help she could receive, even if she disagreed.

But Philippe just stood there, still looking at the floor.

"I apologize," Maurice said. "He is….," his voice trailed off for a moment and now it was him that looked around briefly to see if anyone was listening, "He is a mute," Maurice said, his eyes also looking at the floor now.

Apparently there were in fact some of the other cast members watching this exchange and heard this. Some were already whispering to each other, no doubt commenting on Phillip's appearance. One of those who heard was Justine, who suddenly stepped forward.

"Now how is he going to help us in creating the sets when he can't speak? He has to work in communicating with a number of people. In fact, do you need to watch over him continually?"

Maurice looked up at Justine. "He is fairly good at doing a number of things himself without help." Clearly he had defended his brother before with comments such as this.

"_Fairly_ good? How much help does he need?" asked Justine eyeing Philippe who was clearly uncomfortable now with this discussion. He was shifting his weight from side to side, his eyes now glancing around even more.

Ever so the pair, Andre joined in. "We really do not have a lot of time to be helping with a…..um, well, someone who needs help," he finished reluctantly.

Madame Duprey's smile had disappeared now, the serious look on face had returned. Her gaze turned to Justine and Andre.

"Just because he is mute, does not mean he is unable do the job. If I were to judge anyone by strictly their external looks or first impression, you can be sure both of you would have had to work much harder in convincing me that either of you were at all serious about even being here."

Now Andre and Justine both looked at the floor at the same time.

Madame Duprey returned her gaze at Philippe who had very briefly glanced up at her for the first time when he heard her criticize Justine and Andre's comments.

"You only have six weeks," she said. "I expect to see your progress at the end of each day. So you will need to see me after each rehearsal. Understood?"

He nodded.

"Good. Then let us get back to rehearsal. We do not have much time." She strode off toward the conductor who was just returning.

This exchange he had witnessed was oddly intriguing to him. He had started coming to rehearsals more each day, watching their progress, but not really getting to know anything about Madame Duprey other than her style of direction. And what a different style it was. She was very straight forward in her thoughts and critique. The cast never needed to guess what she was thinking. She told them, openly and honestly. And she expected the same in return from them if they did not like something in particular or were feeling uncomfortable in a particular song or acting. Though he recognized again that she was a mature woman, he was impressed with the fact that she was still fairly young in her age to know so much about directing a production.

But after a few weeks of observing Madame Duprey, he still knew very little about her. She rarely seemed to have discussions or be seen with anyone outside the Company, other than Monsieur Garier, in which she always became deeply silent. In fact, she appeared actually very submissive when around him.

She rarely left the Opera House, being given the suite housed within to stay. Though this was purely out of a cost savings to Monsieur Garier, it was very convenient to her as she spent most of her time in the theater or the Music Room. In fact, He had observed that she usually worked well into the night.

Not that he had been watching her all the time. But he had become used to roaming the Opera House freely when he wanted to at night up until now. Like her, he didn't sleep very much and was often up late. But now with her staying in the Opera House, he rarely took the chance to go beyond the secret passageways. He sometimes would check to make sure she was in the Music Room if he needed for any reason to go outside his realm into the open. But he made sure his visits to any of the rooms were brief, wary of the possibility of her leaving the Music Room and seeing him.

When he did observe her, she was always working on transposing music or re-writing some of the scenes. Given the limitations she had to work with, she often re-created and changed difficult areas that an inexperienced cast could not master. Yet she still managed to keep to the overall feel of the production. She even actually enhanced parts of it in his opinion.

However, she was beginning to show signs of fatigue, sometimes rubbing her eyes quite often he observed. She also often rubbed her neck that most likely was sore from her standing all day, then sitting writing at the piano at night. He also suspected that she couldn't help herself and was even working in her suite when she should be sleeping, though he did not venture to find out. He had the means to actually observe Madame Duprey in her suite through another large mirror. But he refrained from doing so despite his arising curiosity about her. While it was true that his past was sinister, he was still a gentleman in the respect of privacy for someone, especially her. She was someone he was starting to recognize and appreciate in her directing skills as time went by.

But as for any other personal feelings or thoughts, he still did not know her very well. He had overheard various conversations from the rest of the cast about their families or other about their past experiences in life. But with Madame Duprey, there were no clues to her history or personal life experiences.

The conversation with Philippe was perhaps the first real insight she had given to her personal feelings about someone who was not accepted in the eyes of society. Perhaps this was because she too, was somewhat of a fascination for people. Already he had caught a glimpse of a newspaper that was reporting something on the restoration of the Opera House and making special mention of the fact that Monsieur Garier had hired a female director. The reporter strongly relayed facts that only males were worthy of such a position and Monsieur Garier was reckless in his selection. It was the reaction Monsieur Garier exactly needed for such publicity in the re-opening of the Opera House.

Turning his attention back to the current rehearsal, he glanced at the women scattered around the stage. Most were in deep conversation. With the exception of Madame Duprey, if there was one thing he had quickly learned about women, it was that their conversation was almost always about the latest rumor or gossip being heard. They were quick to give their personal opinions on any such issues, but they especially seemed to frequently discuss any recent development with relationships from prominent society members outside the Company. But he rarely listened to such conversations as most of their chattering rather annoyed him. Perhaps it was because it was obvious that none of them knew the truth. So why bother discussing it?

As far as soloists from the women, there were only a few. Most were made more for chorus singing. However one girl generally sang most of the leading female parts. Her name was Julia. She had blonde hair that was always put up neatly, and her face was young with rosy cheeks. It was clear that she came from most likely an upper class family based on her dress and neatness of appearance. Julia was quite inexperienced in the Opera world however, and generally looked to Madame Duprey for guidance. Her voice was fair and pleasant in tone, though it lacked the intensity of a more mature voice as she was extremely young. She also could not yet fully reach some of the upper registers and Madame had rewritten some of the songs to accommodate this fact. Julia had much still to learn and improve.

He criticized himself as he should give any such young singer a chance at stardom. Certainly not long ago he had done the same for a peasant girl who knew nothing about the world of Opera. But unfortunately, he knew none would ever compare.

Aside from Julia there were a variety of other girls, many also with blonde hair. Though fortunately most of them seem to be able to carry a tune, it was obvious why they had been selected. In addition there was a small group of ballet dancers among them that were also part of the chorus. Again, Monsieur Garier must have figured this was more cost efficient than paying for an entire separate group of dancers only to be in a few scenes.

Still, he continued to be impressed with how Madame Duprey worked with what she had. When they came upon the creation of one of the ballet scenes, she once again used her creativity to work with so little.

"Did you used to be a dancer or an instructor?" he heard one of the girls ask Madame as they stood in a small line on the stage as she had instructed.

Madame Duprey smiled at her. "Most definitely not," came her reply.

"But how are we to choreograph the scene?" asked another.

"With music of course," Madame Duprey replied.

"What?"

"With the _feel_ of the music," Madame Duprey said, looking determined to remain patient.

The girls looked at each other. Then Madame Duprey instructed the conductor to begin playing the music to the scene. She returned to the line of girls and told them they needed to continue with their warm up exercises with the music playing.

Although this seemed like a strange request, the dancers carried out her request on the stage. Before long, many of them were performing moves in time with the music. Madame Duprey stood with Gautier intensely watching all the girls, whispering to him and pointing out particular girls in certain moments of the song. She made the dancers and the orchestra repeat this exercise several more times.

When Madame Duprey finally said they were finished, the dancers seem relieved, as their feet were already feeling quite sore. Many of them were murmuring to each other in worry if this was the warm-up, how exhausting would the real dancing be?

But Madame Duprey was quite done with the dancers for now, and she told them they would work again on the dance number tomorrow. While they looked confused, the girls were happy enough that they could return to singing in the chorus giving their feet a rest.

The following day Madame Duprey had a list of particular ballet moves she gave the dancers. It was interesting to him that she knew such ballet terminology for someone who was not a dancer or an instructor. And it worked. Before long, the dancers had put in order the moves she had given. When they practiced with music, the movements seem to fit quite well. While the dance scene was in no way complicated, he was impressed. The dancers truly felt the music with what Madame Duprey had put together from her observations of their movements the day before.

Weeks passed, and the time of the debut was drawing near. The Company had come quite far in this short amount of time. While some scenes still needed more work, they had managed to make it through the entire show quite well. Justine's voice was continually improving now even more dramatically to the point he would definitely be seen as the star of the show, more so than Julia when it was more the norm for a woman to lead with the recognition of an audience. Although Julia could still hold her own as she had improved a great deal and was even beginning to sound a bit more confident in her singing.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of the production was the vivid sets that had been put together. Philippe had created some beautiful backdrops and had used his innovative mind to come up with interesting ways to make sets look very realistic. One of the scenes changed from night to early morning. Philippe had done an excellent job of figuring out a way to add lights for the stars and slowly fading them into the background with stage lighting transforming into a beautiful backdrop of the early morning with colors that were breathtaking. He had managed to pull all of this off in an enormously quick amount of time, often staying throughout the night working.

Those who worked with Phillipe had figured out various ways to communicate with him including signs and writing down conversations. While he still was extremely timid and kept to himself, the Company had come to have a great deal of respect for his talent.

Madame Duprey was working harder than ever before. With little time left, she made good use of every hour she could. He often wondered when she even ever ate or slept, rarely seeing her take any break from the stage and still working late into the night within the Music Room.

Monsieur Garier had only visited a few times since she started to direct. His main concern was, as always, the "look" of things. If there was one thing he did spend money on, it was the glamour and appearance of anything he could find that would draw attention. At least the costumes were something Madame Duprey did not have to worry much about as he had hired a costume designing staff that ensured only the best materials were used.

Today, however, Monsieur Garier was visiting the Opera House and observing the dress rehearsal Madame Duprey was working on. He seemed quite satisfied, especially upon seeing some of the eye catching special effects of the sets Philippe had created. He had beckoned her to follow him back to the Music Room.

Hiding in the balcony, he simply could not help himself and had to follow so he could listen to the conversation. He was truly intrigued with every aspect of the production now. Monsieur Garier was probably the only major challenge that faced Madame Duprey. She always changed in her demeanor around him, continuing to remain very silent and answering any questions quickly, giving no opinion, something not like her in nature. Although she did not let it show on her face, he took this change as meaning that Monsieur Garier was in fact someone who intimidated her. If so, he was certainly the only one that seemed to have this affect upon her.

She had no patience even for any of Monsieur Garier's staff that continually followed him everywhere on his visits. She was particularly annoyed when any of the staff would tell her what to do, such as requesting her to put on a different dress before he came to visit. If there was one thing he had learned about Madame Duprey, she had no interest in appearances other than the production itself. In fact, she generally paid little attention to her own appearance other than to make sure her hair was always part way up to stay out of her face. Now that he observed her for more then a few weeks, he in fact found that she never put her hair all the way up. And she always wore fairly plain dresses, although the colors she chose seemed to always be pretty, never in darker colors.

He was now in the secret corridor standing behind one of the mirrors in the Music Room. He watched as Monsieur Garier strode into the room. Behind him was Madame Duprey, slowly following him with her arms behind her back, looking down as usual.

"Things seem to be going well," Monsieur said looking at her.

She nodded, saying nothing.

"You will be ready in time for the performance Friday evening then?" he asked frowning at her lack of response.

Again, she nodded adding no comments.

Monsieur Garier began to circle around her, a continued habit he did with her on his visits that quite annoyed him as he watched from behind the mirror. Hadn't he observed enough of her physical appearance? Did he have to examine her in such detail each visit?

"There will of course be many prominent guests at the performance Opening Night. I expect things to go well." He stopped in front of Madame Duprey after he had completed his full examination from walking around her.

"You know there will also be a ball afterwards of course. I expect you to attend and be available as needed for introductions." Monsieur Garier suddenly frowned again. "And just _exactly_ what are you going to wear?" he asked while looking at her intently.

Madame Duprey's looked up, her young face looking nervously at him before glancing back down.

"_Good God_, you have not even thought about it have you?" he asked. His voice was much louder and condescending. He apparently could not even comprehend why she would have forgotten such a thing.

"I have not had the time," she said, still looking down but now slightly frowning giving a hint of the first irritation she had ever shown to him.

"_Bernadette!_" Monsieur Garier shouted.

A rather older, large woman came rushing into the room. He had observed her on many occasions when Monsieur Garier came to visit and she seemed to be in charge of any other servants that attended to him.

"Yes?" she asked most eagerly.

"You will find a dress for Madame Duprey to wear for Opening Night," he said, while his eyes once again roamed over Madame Duprey disapprovingly.

"Of course Monsieur," said Bernadette in just as condescending tone with a smirk on her face while she looked at Madame Duprey.

"Make sure it fits well. A lower cut neckline or off the shoulders preferably."

"Yes," said Bernadette. "I will visit the shops tomorrow first thing in the morning."

"Make sure you buy two dresses. There is of course a show Saturday evening as well." Monsieur Garier continued to gaze at Madame Duprey before again looking at Bernadette. "And make sure you do _something_ with that hair," he said harshly. Monsieur Garier turned and walked out of the room, with Bernadette quickly following after him.

As soon as they left, Madame Duprey let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes for a moment. He thought she was most likely trying to control her patience under the circumstances. Of course she did not have the least bit of time to think about shopping for a dress.

This was once again a rare private moment he was witnessing with her, and he hesitated at his unknown presence. He should leave.

But before he could, she opened her eyes and slowly looked up toward the mirror he was standing behind. She began to walk towards him, her hands still behind her back. He knew she could not possibly see him, but he became quite concerned as she approached so directly in front of him. He held his breath for a moment.

However, Madame Duprey turned slightly and walked up to the mirror on her left. He watched as she suddenly raised her hands to her hair. Gathering it firmly, she rolled it up and held it above her head in a similar style most of the women wore. She looked quite different this way. She still looked pretty of course, but this style of hair did not seem to somehow fit with her appearance, or at least in his opinion.

She turned her head slowly, looking at herself in the mirror. But then she frowned and released her hair, letting it tumble back down below her shoulders. She looked down, her hands playing with the ends of her curls.

Was she suddenly thinking that perhaps Monsieur was right in his words? She was suddenly taking an interest in her appearance, though obviously not liking what she was seeing.

He backed away from the mirror, wanting to leave quietly. But while stepping backwards, one of his feet hit a floorboard that made a noise. He winced, closing his eyes for a quick moment. Of all moments, this was not an opportune time to be heard.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Madame Duprey had turned her head sharply toward his mirror at the sound, dropping her hands from her hair. She took a step toward the mirror hesitantly. The sound had clearly made her a bit nervous. Perhaps for the first time she realized that the Opera House had an eerie silence, and this sound was not usual. It seemed to scare her and she glanced questioningly up and down the mirror. But after a few moments she turned and walked away, once again sitting at the piano with her hands resting on the keys.

He was quite relieved at this, though he knew most likely she wouldn't find out about him. The mirror only opened in a secret way he knew and it was not likely she or anyone would figure that out. But he also truly did not want to make her feel frightened. He now wanted her to continue working and living there. He had not only come to enjoy the rehearsals as part of his daily routine, but almost found her constant presence in the Opera House somewhat of a comfort. This was strange, he thought to himself. While he had been content with being alone, he now found himself rather liking her around, knowing she was always there.

_Ridiculous_, he thought to himself. It wasn't as if she was talking to him or even staying there for his companionship. He turned very carefully this time, and walked silently down the corridor.

Then he heard the piano. She was playing a quiet, pleasant song that he sometimes heard during her late nights. It was soothing music, actually having a calming affect on him when he heard it. He suspected it relaxed her as well.

He sighed heavily, wondering why he was once again being caught up in the world of a woman, though he did not feel the same way about her as he had with Christine. His heart would never be the same after what had happened, although at least he had seemed to come to terms and acceptance with Christine's choice.

Still, Madame Duprey continued to intrigue him, and he found himself thinking about her more often than ever before, always curious as to what she would do next with the production. He never seemed to be able to predict anything about her.

He continued down the steps to the depths below, back into the seclusion of the darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The day of the premier was extremely busy. Many were literally running around making last minute adjustments to the sets, lights, costumes, and anything else they could think of. Most of the cast had arrived rather early even though Madame Duprey had instructed there would be no actual rehearsal today, only time to warm up their voices with the usual exercises.

It was obvious they were quite nervous but also excited as they continued to walk here and there, pacing around backstage. Justine was even showing a bit of his nerves as he was unusually quiet, though still trying his best to smile whenever anyone came near. Gautier was intent on buzzing about Madame Duprey, constantly asking her if there was anything else he could do. Though she usually appreciated Gautier's efforts, she finally gave him a few tasks that probably made little difference to the evening's performance. But it succeeded in keeping him away from her.

Andre was chatting to members of the orchestra, listening to them tune their instruments. Armond had joined in rehearsing with a few others and practiced a few parts of particular songs that had been difficult for them. Dion was the only one in his usual quiet nature that seemed to be sitting calmly observing the commotion around him.

Maurice was assisting Philippe who was appearing frustrated at last minute improvements to the lighting effects. Even though the backdrops and sets were looking quite superb, he continued to argue in his own communication gestures to those who were helping, especially Maurice.

"If you weren't my brother, I swear right now I'd be dropping this right on top of you," muttered Maurice as he hoisted up another row of lights that Philippe insisted they add. Maurice was already hot from working with the stage lights, his face shiny from perspiration as he continued to do as he brother beckoned.

The hours passed and soon the cast were emerging from their dressing rooms in their costumes. True to his nature, Monsieur Garier had provided only the best with the elaborate dresses for the women in the cast. Even the men were dressed in the finest clothes that any one of them could easily pass as a Duke or Lord from some upper class.

He observed all of this high above among the various catwalks, careful to remain hidden in the darkness whenever anyone ventured up to adjust something as Philippe had directed. He could see all the preparation backstage quite clearly from this vantage point. As He had grown to know and appreciate this Company, He was now truly hoping they did well in this performance.

The dress rehearsal yesterday went smoothly, with the exception of a few cast members including Justine, missing some of their specific marks on stage where they needed to stand. Still, the cast did well, the performance transitioning smoothly throughout the various songs, sets, and costume changes. Their singing had improved so much so that to any experienced opera fan, it would be hard to tell this was their very first professional performance for some in the cast.

The audience was now beginning to arrive in the theater. Most were smiling and waving at others in the audience as they took their seats, greeting those around them. All of them were dressed in their finest. Only the most prominent in higher society were able to obtain seats for Opening Night. Monsieur Garier's plan had worked. The Opera Populair had drawn quite a bit of attention with its restoration and anticipation of the first performance with an unknown cast, particularly as it was directed by a woman.

Box 5 remained empty much to the irritation of Monsieur Garier as the legendary ghost story continued to exist. Some of the audience had even looked nervously at Box 5 as well as high up above where the new sparkling chandelier hung from the ceiling.

"I can't believe that such a false story has grown into such ridiculous nonsense," He had overheard Monsieur Garier say on a recent visit. "The whole thing was just a diversion as to why the previous owner had left, being embarrassed from his lack of business sense and declaring bankruptcy. Not to mention the payouts he must have had to make to the injured from that chandelier that was unsafely anchored. He had to blame a ghost on that incident to try and avoid looking like he was responsible. But in the end, everyone knew it was his fault."

Monsieur Garier had considered sitting in Box 5 himself so to make sure other seats were sold. Be he also wanted to make sure he was more visible to the audience. Box 5 was closer to the stage and on the side of the theater, not centered enough for him to catch the attention of those he wanted to impress. So he gave up, satisfied enough that the remainder of the seats had been sold out.

He was just about to make his way to Box 5 when Madame Duprey suddenly appeared. He didn't recognize her at first, her hair still being worked on by Bernadette who was loudly scolding her to hold still and not go anywhere else. She was wearing a full emerald green dress that had a v-neckline, the sleeves slightly off her shoulders. The gown was trimmed with lace in great detail looking obviously expensive.

He had overheard Bernadette the day before complaining to Monsieur Garier that she had great difficulty in finding proper dresses that fit given Madame Duprey's petite size. At that, Monsieur Garier then informed Madame Duprey that next Thursday afternoon a dressmaker would be paying her a visit to customize all future gowns to make her look proper. Still, tonight she looked more glamorous in the way Monsieur Garier had wanted, though obviously she was not acting the part.

"Hold still," scolded Bernadette to Madame Duprey again as she continued to work on her hair.

Madame Duprey had caught the attention of quite a few of the cast who were coming up to her asking questions and looking for direction on various last minute items. While she tried to answer them, she winced as Bernadette pulled on her hair tightly.

"Honestly, you have the thickest hair I have ever seen," complained Bernadette. "You obviously haven't worked with it enough as it would be easier to put up. Most women have finer hair from styling it so often. We will most definitely need to work on that. In the meantime, I'll have to just do my best to make it look even respectable. It's such a pain, I'm not sure I'll ever get it to cooperate!"

"Then _why_ even bother putting it up?" Madame Duprey responded in anger as Bernadette once again twisted and pulled on her hair painfully.

Bernadette seemed to use her grasp on Madame Duprey's hair to pull her head to turn and face her. "Because a _lad_y wears her hair up, something you obviously know nothing about," she replied gruffly.

It was suddenly clear Madame Duprey had enough.

"If you do not finish in the next few minutes, than I can assure you that if I have to rip my hair from your rough, _manly_ grasp, I will," Madame Duprey said, gritting her teeth.

Bernadette hesitated for a moment, insulted by Madame Duprey's comment, though she certainly quite deserved it was his thought. She took a few more pins and one more time pulled on her hair twisting it into place.

"There! Go! You are _finally_ done," Bernadette said in an exasperated voice.

Freed from Bernadette's torture, Madame Duprey quickly moved forward, but she almost tripped on the skirt of her full gown moving up the few steps to the main backstage area. She frowned, picking up the skirt in the normal manner women did, something she didn't usually need to worry about, and proceeded to the conductor who was patiently waiting for her. Soon they were in deep discussion about something in the score.

He made his way along the catwalk to the secret passageway leading to Box 5. Once sitting, he focused his attention on various members of the audience. There were a few he recognized from years ago that were loyal opera lovers. Still, most were there it seemed to be as much on display as the production. The women, dressed so lavishly, were like trophies on the arms of the men. Many were engrossed in deep conversation and what little he heard told him enough that the gossip in the upper class society of women were no different than those in the cast.

"Did you hear about Lady Agnes arriving in town next month?"

"Yes, I heard she is visiting the Duke Edouard."

"And so soon after his separation from Madame Corinne!"

"Yes, I heard she is desperately lonely after what happened. What a shame for her to end up with so little after having so much."

"But of course she could have done more to please him. To keep a husband of such wealth requires a dedicated wife to the house. She spent too much of her time with the children. Really, what are the servants for?"

He shook his head and let his gaze wander around to the rest of the audience safely from behind the curtain. He spotted Monsieur Garier who was broadly smiling and shaking hands with many who had come to greet him. On his arm was a very tall, thin woman adorned in sparkling jewels wearing a silk blue topaz gown. Her blonde hair elaborately put up with various decorative pins. She appeared somewhat bored, not even smiling all that much when she was introduced by Monsieur Garier to those who greeted him. She fit him perfectly was his thought.

The lights flickered indicating the audience to take their seats. They applauded politely when the conductor appeared before the orchestra. The music began and the show was underway.

The cast did exceptionally well, more than he had ever even witnessed in the rehearsals. The storyline involved a young girl played by Julia who had grown up unloved in a family of prominent wealth, her family insisting on her proper match in marriage. Of course, like most love stories, she had fallen in love with a handsome stranger, played by Justine, who was of a different background that had nothing but disapproval from her family. However, their different backgrounds were due to culture and origin rather than wealth. While many stories usually involved some upper class member falling in love with someone who is poor thus ensuing a scandalous relationship, Justine's character was from an origin of French while Julia's character with her family had a Spanish descent.

He had to admit that he was extremely impressed with songs in different languages that were rather difficult to sing. While most of the songs were sung in French that the cast knew, others were sung in Spanish. Justine had to sing both languages as the ending required him to bridge the gap between the families with his show of love in a language foreign to him.

Justine was, as he predicted, definitely the star of the show. His voice had come to a more mature stage from training with Madame Duprey. She only needed to guide Justine to bring out his natural talent. And what talent he demonstrated. Justine's voice was purely memorizing in tone and texture. He was able to hold notes infinitely in songs, never wavering in strength. This was hard to believe when just weeks ago he was only able to reach the upper register so softly. Justine's voice now carried easily into the back of theater, the acoustics perfect for his beautiful singing. The audience recognized it also. His solo performance early on in the show had the audience respond with a standing ovation.

Not that the rest of the cast performed any less. The show by far was their best of any rehearsal. None of them seem to miss a cue and there were little if no mistakes. The dancers performed their scenes flawlessly. The chorus voices blended so well this night it seemed impossible they were once so out of tune. In fact, the entire show was almost too perfect, if one could say such a thing.

The final song featuring the blending of the two families was partly a duet with Justine and Andre. Andre played the brother of Julia's character, who had created deception between the two lovers to keep them apart. In the end, even the brother had recognized their true love and joined Justine in serenading Julia's character for forgiveness.

He had observed the first rehearsal of this song just weeks earlier. Justine, for not knowing Spanish, was doing particularly well. They weren't acting out the scene at that moment, just practicing the singing. Madame Duprey stopped and corrected Justine more than a few times, some of his pronunciations of the words needing work. If she spoke Spanish, He did not know, but she seemed very aware of the particular accent needed for the lyrics.

Justine cursed as Madame Duprey stopped the music once more. He knew immediately that he began singing at the wrong timing with the music. They were finally near the end of the song, which they had been practicing on for some time.

He apologized. Then she motioned to the conductor to start where they had left off once again. But Justine started singing at the wrong time again. He cursed again before she could even stop the music.

"I am sorry Madame," Justine apologized, turning a bit red at the fact he had cursed in front of her once more.

"Focus," Madame Duprey replied. "You start on the upbeat."

"I know. It...It just doesn't feel natural."

"Close your eyes."

"What?"

"I said close your eyes," said Madame Duprey looking at him with a serious face.

Justine asked no more questions. He usually didn't when it came to her directions. At this point, she could very well ask him to walk in circles and he now would do so without hesitation with his trust in her. Justine appeared much taken with her, though it appeared so only on a professional basis. But this was certainly understandable, given she had brought him so far along with his voice being so beautifully trained.

Justine closed his eyes and Madame Duprey motioned to the conductor once more. The music began and Justine listened intently. He began to sing, this time coming in at just the right moment.

Justine opened his eyes as he continued to sing, pleased that he was successful and Madame Duprey had not stopped him this time. It seemed he naturally felt the music when his eyes were closed, and she was just reminding him to let his instinct lead. As the ending of the song came near, Justine must have been feeling particularly confident as he suddenly raised his voice perfectly, holding a particular note extremely well, and his melodic voice impressing everyone. Justine beamed after the song was finished as the cast broke into applause. He turned to look at Madame Duprey who stood there, but only giving him a small smile.

"Oh come now Madame," Justine said still widely smiling. "Even you have to admit that I did exceptionally well that time. Have you really heard any voice as good?"

Still watching behind the balcony curtain, He shook his head slightly. Yes, Justine still had his high sense of self. But even he had to admit; Justine had in fact done very well in that last moment.

But Madame Duprey did not say anything and continued to stand before Justine still slightly smiling. "Again," she finally replied. "And Justine, when you make it through the song without me stopping you, than perhaps I'll consider if you have done well."

The cast laughed and Justine shook his head. But he was more determined than ever, as this appeared to be a challenge he wanted to win. She stopped him once more near the middle of the song when he didn't pronounce the accent to a lyric enough and he grimaced. But Justine started the song again without hesitation and now closed his eyes.

He made it all the way through the song. Madame Duprey did not stop the conductor. Andre also appeared to do well during his part. Justine opened his eyes when the song was finished and looked expectedly at her. The cast seemed to hold its breath.

She smiled. "Again," she said, still apparently not satisfied. Watching this from the balcony, He also smiled. She was certainly making him work hard before any compliment was given.

The cast laughed, but more quietly this time. They almost felt bad for Justine, even though he most likely deserved it with his arrogant attitude. But they also knew Justine was at heart, truly a devoted member of the cast.

Finally, after Justine sang through the song one more time, Madame Duprey nodded. "We will see if you can do it tomorrow while acting the scene," she said smiling, not adding any compliment.

Justine frowned, but humorously threw his hands up in the air with defeat, and many of the cast once again smiled as they shook their heads. But Madame Duprey called on Justine to stay behind as the others left the stage when rehearsal was finished.

"I do apologize, Madame. It was wrong of me to act in such a manner after the first practice of the song. I was just so pleased that I finally seem to hold such a note," Justine said sheepishly to her. Once again, Justine, though sometimes annoying, was admitting his arrogance.

But Madame Duprey unexpectedly laughed, not something He heard her usually do. "Thank you Justine, however, that is not why I asked to see you."

"Oh," said Justine now looking embarrassed.

"Actually, I wanted to tell you that I _was_ impressed. You were quite good," she said smiling.

"_Oh_," Justine said now looking rather happy.

Still smiling, she turned and began to walk backstage, most likely ready to retire for the evening once again to the Music Room.

"Madame?"

She stopped and turned back to him. "Yes?"

"I just wanted you to know that….that I will not let you down on Opening Night. I promise that I will sing my best for you."

Madame Duprey's eyes looked away from him down towards the theater seats for a moment, slightly pursing her lips together. In the balcony, He moved back behind the curtain more to make sure she did not see him. Then he saw her look up at Justine.

"Thank you. However…," she paused, and than took a few steps toward him, "Justine…, you must only sing for yourself…, for the beauty you _feel_ in the music, what you feel when you have your eyes closed." Her facial expression had a soft look, and she tilted her head ever so slightly looking at him intently. "Do you understand what I am saying," she asked quietly.

Justine dropped his eyes from hers. "Yes."

"Good." She turned once again and began to walk across the stage.

"But Madame…"

She stopped walking.

"…you do know that I would, well, not only myself, but, all of us…," Justine was still not looking towards her.

Madame Duprey turned to look at him once again, and Justine raised his eyes to meet her gaze and took a breath.

"…we would do anything for you," he finished.

There was silence for a moment as she looked like she was thinking. She gave a deep sigh, her face turning almost sad. "You already have done more than enough for me. All of you have. More than you will ever know." And then Madame Duprey walked backstage, this time more quickly, ensuring that Justine could add no more.

He had never seen a Company so dedicated to one director. There was little doubt that Justine did not speak the truth in what he had said to her. Their faces over the last few months had changed from doubt to confidence, all because of her. They would in fact do anything for her.

True to his word, Justine did not let Madame Duprey down along with the rest of the Company. The cast tonight was obviously caught up in the feelings of this last song. Julia was shedding tears as Justine and Andre so passionately sang together, the cast joining in the final singing. He was deeply moved by the performance, perhaps even more so with witnessing the hard work and dedication of this inexperienced group over the past few months.

But the audience agreed even more, calling for multiple curtain calls with standing ovations. This included their acknowledgement of Madame Duprey who was led onto the stage on the arm of Monsieur Garier. As the thundering applause of the audience grew louder with Madame Duprey's introduction to them, He could not help but notice her humble expression, not wanting to be a part of the spotlight. It appeared now with the obvious pride from Monsieur Garier, she too, was being as prominently displayed as the upper class women. Monsieur Garier, of course, was taking all the credit for his "selection" of this woman director, and he gratefully bowed a number of times which seemed to delight the audience even more.

He was rather irritated watching this with Monsieur Garier. Madame Duprey was the entire reason for this Company's success and such a moving performance when she had so little to work with. It was she who brought the world of music in this opera house back to life once more. His spirits from this performance were lifted, a feeling he had not felt in quite a long time.

He made his way back up to the catwalk and observed the cast backstage basking in their success. Justine, having no choice, was already surrounded by the women giving him hugs and kisses. Andre was not far behind, as the women moved from Justine to him, much to his delight. Julia was carrying a bouquet of roses that was given to her. Dion was even beaming, going over some of the scenes they had managed to perform so well with other cast members. Maurice was tugging Philippe along, but in an affectionate manner, as he forced his brother to accept congratulations from various cast members for such talented work. The orchestra with the conductor had also gathered backstage now, joining in the celebration.

The Company suddenly broke into applause and he saw Madame Duprey appear. Though obviously tired, she was giving more of a true smile now than was the case with her appearance on stage. She quickly broke up the applause by moving about the Company congratulating them, as once again, she did not seem to want to be the center of such attention. But the cast presented her with a bouquet of red roses that she could carry in her arms. She accepted them graciously, but continued to make her way through the crowd, making an effort to talk with each and every one of them.

He watched for quite a while until Madame Duprey had left the backstage, the cast dispersed, and the various stage hand workers had organized the sets once more for the next performance before leaving. The audience had also for the most part left the theater and the Opera House had grown quiet once again. He had overheard many of the audience and Company speaking of the ball to follow afterwards in which surly they would attend late into the night. While most would find sadness to this lack of being included, He did not know otherwise as he certainly had never attended such things. No, he was far too pleased with the performance, His mood still very upbeat.

Before he returned below, he decided to stop by the Music room to retrieve more blank music sheets for his creativity that was flooding his thoughts. He walked down the back corridor which was extremely dark now from any light with most of the rooms empty and the lamps turned off which usually filtered through certain areas. But he was quite used to the darkness and could see very well despite the lack of light. He made it to the Music Room and approached behind one of the first mirrors.

He stopped in his tracks.

There, in the Music Room was Madame Duprey with Monsieur Garier behind her. Although the room was dimly lit with only a few lamps, he could see Monsieur Garier's hands moving up the sides of her arms to her shoulders, his head close to hers. Then he softly kissed her neck.

This could not be. How was it that Monsieur Garier and Madame Duprey could be this way? It did not fit with his observations of her interactions with him. It did not make sense. But he heard Monsieur Garier speaking to her ever so quietly.

"You could be so much more," he whispered, his hands now caressing her shoulders. "I could _make_ you so much more." He bent down and began kissing her neck again.

Then he saw her stiffen. She was not responding to Monsieur Garier although she seemed to be allowing him to continue. As he moved to kiss down her neck, she closed her eyes and slightly turned her head away, but Monsieur Garier was not stopping.

Stunned, he continued to watch from behind the mirror. He now understood this was not by Madame Duprey's wishes. He suddenly realized that if she refused Monsieur Garier, he would take everything from her. She was at his mercy if she wished to continue directing, for Monsieur Garier was in total control as the owner to the opera house. With the establishment of her production's success, he wanted to keep Madame Duprey, but only at a price he was now setting.

Had he done this before to her? He did not think so. He had observed, for the most part, all of Monsieur Garier's previous visits with her, which were few. She rarely left the Opera House, and from what he had read in the newspaper, Monsieur Garier's home was quite far away, and she would have not returned so quickly had she been visiting with him. In addition, she usually carried back items that would have only come from the local town. No, it did not appear to him that this forced intimacy had previously been happening. This may in fact be the first evening Monsieur Garier approached her in such a manner.

He should leave. He should walk away and go to the depths below. But he strangely found Himself not moving. For the first time, He was experiencing true feelings for Madame Duprey. Not necessarily love. No, his heart had experienced that feeling. But He was reacting with true concern. What if Monsieur Garier continued and she did suddenly refuse? What reaction would he give? Monsieur Garier had not ever appeared violent, but he certainly made it clear that he liked to be in charge.

Now he felt his chest tightening, unsure of what He should do. How far should he let such a thing continue? He could not risk revealing once again his secrecy. But he looked at Madame Duprey standing there; her eyes still tightly shut trying to endure this moment with all her will. Her face was deeply sad and he knew she was feeling the powerlessness of her situation. He could easily slip inside the room and quickly deal with Monsieur Garier, not even giving him a chance. But where would that leave her with the new owner suddenly found dead?

"Leon!" A voice was calling from beyond the room. Suddenly the tall, thin woman, who he had witnessed earlier with Monsieur Garier in the theater, appeared in the doorway. But she did not see what was happening. The room, so dimly lit, had not allowed enough time for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, and Monsieur Garier had quickly pulled away from Madame Duprey.

"I was wondering where you were. Why is it so dark in here?" the woman asked. Still standing behind the mirror, he thought this was a rather ridiculous question as she was not only blind due to the lack of light, but the situation itself. But at least the woman had interrupted Monsieur Garier's intentions.

The woman turned on another lamp and looked up to see Monsieur Garier striding toward her, his hands pretending to have been behind his back the whole time. He reached out to the woman, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Sorry darling. I was reviewing a few things that needed to be in order for tomorrow night's performance. A few areas of improvement are still needed," he said tilting his head around, his eyes staring in a threatening manner at Madame Duprey if she were to say anything.

"Oh, it's _you_," said the woman in a degrading tone and her eyes narrowing, looking rather coldly at Madame Duprey.

Madame Duprey still appeared slightly shaken from Monsieur Garier's advances. But she looked up at the woman and returned a cold stare right back at her. Then she glanced nervously at Monsieur Garier who was still watching her and returned to her normal gaze at the floor as always when she was around him.

"Ah, Monsieur Garier, there you are," said an overweight, bald man walking through the doorway. "We are already running late. We have to go."

"Yes, yes, of course. But one can never make too late of an entrance," Monsieur Garier said with a smile at the woman. The woman gave what He thought was quite a fake laugh as to impress him. She took Monsieur Garier's arm and he grasped her hand.

"You stay here inside where it is warm. I'll go call the carriage and send someone to come get you." She nodded giving another fake smile and Monsieur Garier walked out of the room with the other man. As Monsieur Garier left the room, Madame Duprey slightly raised her head watching him leave.

Upon seeing this, the woman raised her head even higher and very slowly walked towards her. "Do not even _think_ that you could possibly rise to a level to even be considered by him," the woman hissed in a threatening tone to Madame Duprey.

Now that she had seen Monsieur Garier leave, he watched as Madame Duprey raised her head up high, appearing like the confident director he had come to know. She turned to the woman who was by far much taller than her. But now Madame Duprey appeared in no way intimidated and she unexpectedly smiled at the woman. This sudden change in Madame Duprey's demeanor made the woman hesitate and stop walking.

"You are quite right," Madame Duprey said. "I am in no way near the level of…." she paused, looking the woman up and down ever so slowly, "…shall we say, your _obvious_ talents? No, I think you have quite more the intelligent mind than I in keeping such a man," she said in a low voice.

From behind the mirror, he couldn't help but slightly smile at Madame Duprey's sarcasm. The woman did not respond, unsure of what to say.

"Well then, I shall see you at the ball," Madame Duprey said, and she walked briskly out of the room, leaving the woman standing there flustered.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next few days were fairly quiet, given there were no rehearsals taking place at the moment. Saturday evening's performance seemed to have gone just as well as Opening Night. The cast was still highly excited, especially given their success.

He had stolen one of the newspapers left behind by Gautier on Saturday and read raving reviews from the critics. Justine had in fact become an overnight success with even a feature story only about him. Madame Duprey was highly praised, though the comments about her being a woman were made more than a few times.

"The production was superb, a must see for anyone doubting the revitalization of the Opera House," he read from an article. "The restoration of the theater was simply breath taking, the ornate detail brought back once again to life. Upon inspection, nothing was left to chance. Even the new, crystal chandelier, three times the size of the previous one, was spectacular. An interview with Monsieur Garier assured only the highest precautions were taken when it was hung within the theater."

He smiled at this, knowing full well why it was being reported.

"Madame Duprey, for a woman, has astonishingly established a successful Company. Though one might guess that the cast was responsible for such a beautiful production as the director is in fact a female, it is admitted that the singers had very little experience. It is therefore recognized that Madame Duprey was responsible for last night's exceptional performance. Although once criticized in his selection, Monsieur Garier is now credited with recognizing the talent Madame Duprey has clearly demonstrated in her directing skills."

Although he was annoyed at the "woman director" comments, he was truly pleased to find the critics agreeing with the successful production. There were times in the past, even if the audience had loved a performance, critics would sometimes highly disagree resulting in lower attendance for future shows. This was something he did not want to see happen as it might affect Madame Duprey's position.

As there were no rehearsals to watch for the next few days, he remained for the most part, down below working on his music. But when he did emerge to take items he needed from a few of the rooms, he saw Madame Duprey once again in the Music Room. However, for the first time he observed that she was not working, but reading a book as she sat on the chaise. He was glad to see this, as she seemed to be more relaxed, finally getting some rest after all of her hard work.

He was also glad that Monsieur Garier had not visited her immediately following Opening Night. While he attended Saturday evening's performance, Monsieur Garier had been caught up in conversation with a number of people afterwards, and he left hurriedly this time, truly late for whatever party was awaiting him.

He decided to venture out to the rooftop of the Opera House as he sometimes did. Tonight was a particularly beautiful one, the stars shining brightly above the city. He never ventured outside except at night and He enjoyed the fresh air, the wind blowing lightly. At this point in his life, He would not have been able to walk outside in the daylight even if he could. Years of darkness had made his eyes particularly sensitive to light. He was able to endure some of the brightness in the rooms of the Opera House during the day, but avoided open windows with the sun shining brightly in which made it very hard to see.

He had a clear view from the rooftop, able to observe quite a number of activities in the early evening near the Opera House. He had witnessed Justine meeting a woman affectionately outside after Opening Night when He thought everyone had gone. Then after Saturday evening's performance, he saw Justine with yet a different woman. Justine's good looks and now talented voice as a rising star easily gave him the ability to select anyone of his choosing. He also saw Andre joining Justine during Saturday evening, also escorting a woman on his arm, and carrying a bottle of wine with them. The two were obviously quite the pair outside of the Company as well, enjoying late nights with most likely all the activity they could find in the city.

Julia and many of the other women of the cast strolled along outside the Opera House waiting for their carriages on Saturday evening. They had been looking up and pointing at some of the Opera House's architecture, which was breathtakingly beautiful at night with the moon brightly shining in the sky above. As always, He heard them giggling and chatting about some relationship they had heard which had gone scandalous.

He sighed deeply, feeling quite relaxed this evening. His mind was for once, clear at the moment as he had been composing his music in the last several hours. He wondered what the next production would be, hoping that perhaps Madame Duprey would be the one to make the selection. He was sure she was eager to try this cast out in a number of different shows, though they would still most likely perform the current production for quite a while yet.

But now he felt the weariness Madame Duprey was experiencing with Monsieur Garier, which placed a feeling of edginess on his lightened spirits. The observation of the encounter between them on Opening Night still weighed heavily in his mind. He worried that there would be, sooner or later, something that would happen with Monsieur Garier's forced intimacy with her. She would either refuse him, resulting in most likely her termination as director, or she would accept his conditions. He felt tense at the thought of her giving in to Monsieur Garier, anger rising within him at the injustice of her situation.

Still, his life had changed for the better in these last few months. He was safe, his continued existence a secret, and now he was able to enjoy the performances of Opera once again. For him, this was true contentment. Having experienced a failed attempt with love had left him hopeless. But Christine's voice lingered in his mind, remembering its beauty. In a sense, Christine had still saved Him. When she thought he was lost, she truly wept for him. He came to the understanding of her choice and that she still would always love him, though in a different way than that of any romantic relationship.

As painful of a memory as this was, he still reveled in the fact that he had experienced even such an interaction with another person outside his world. And it gave him a feeling of satisfaction that he had at least experienced some of life. It gave him the desire to continue on at least for a while, at least until he finished the music he was writing. He would have no children, no family to leave his imprint for the future. But he did have his music he was composing. For him, even if no one knew, it was something he could finish, something he could complete in this worthless life he had known.

He thought about Christine quite often, wondering if she was happy with her decision. The man she chose he had observed through the years to be with countless women with no interest in true love or music. He could only hope this would not be the case with Christine. He still loved her, and although he had let this man live because he understood her choice, it still made his heart ache. She was the only one ever meant for him, her voice reaching the very depths of his soul.

The air was beginning to feel much colder now, though it did not bother him. Being in the depths below he was used to such coldness. But he decided it was time to retire for the evening as he was beginning to feel somewhat drained from the thoughts that were returning once more to his mind.

He walked down the staircase which was dark in the shadows, finally making his way to the main floor inside the Opera House. He took the secret passageway underneath the Grand Staircase and walked along the corridor passing by the Music Room. He saw light through the mirrors and glanced into the room to see if Madame Duprey was still there.

She had fallen asleep on the chaise.

Seeing this, He stopped for a moment. She had to be exhausted, not only physically but mentally from all the work she put into the production. There was no doubt that she had very little sleep in the last few months.

Apparently she had changed positions from sitting to lying down on the chaise as she was reading with the book still in her hand. She was on her side, the other arm resting underneath her head. She stirred, slightly moving her hand with the book closer to herself. He saw the fireplace and realized there was little heat being provided in the room, the flames ready to go out from the sparse wood that was left. He turned to keep walking down the corridor, but hesitated.

_It wasn't as if she is going to freeze to death or anything_, he thought. The Opera House, though sometimes colder at night, kept most of its warmth from the daytime. So why was he still standing there even noticing such a thing? He was now irritated at himself for even caring. But he couldn't help his observation that she just looked cold, trying to find warmth in her position on the chaise.

_Oh good God, this is ridiculous_, he thought to himself. And with that, he opened the mirror and walked silently into the room.

There was a throw on the end of the chaise and he unfolded it, placing it gently on her. She moved her head slightly, but continued to remain asleep. He looked at the book still in her hand and thought about removing it as it might fall to the floor, but he was concerned such a thing might wake her. He was curious as to what she was reading, but only the back of the book was exposed, not showing any title.

He studied her for a moment, realizing just then he had not been this close to her. Her hair was cascading down her shoulders, looking soft and natural, unlike some of the tight curls He had seen other women style in their hair. She was holding the book with a hand that was very small, her tiny fingers loosely resting on it. Peacefully sleeping, her face had very fair skin and he could not help but notice that her lips were small, yet full.

The memory of Monsieur Garier holding her chin commenting that she had "rosebud lips" that one day flashed in his mind. Once again, it made him feel agitated at the situation.

At least he had done something for her, even if it was an act as small as this. Though the Company tremendously cared about her, she was still very alone it seemed. No one witnessed her after rehearsals as he did. And he was helpless in his secrecy to do much for her. He felt a bit selfish in getting such enjoyment out of what she had done. She had worked so hard late into the nights, while he did nothing but simply watch.

He turned away and quietly walked to the mirror. He looked back to check on her once more, making sure she was in fact still asleep and had not seen him. Then he opened the mirror and continued down below.

The next morning he was busy doing some regular chores and taking a moment to write down any of the music that continued to fill his head. He heard voices up above which was not expected, given that it would still be a few more days before rehearsals would start again.

He climbed the stairs and heard the voices coming more clearly from the Music Room. As He approached, he suddenly grew tense as he recognized Monsieur Garier's voice.

"…and of course the Count called and congratulated me yesterday, which was about time. Now with future shows in such demand, I know he will owe me as he did not acquire tickets for the show."

"Excellent. That will provide some additional profit and favors for sure," said another voice.

As He came upon the first mirror to look inside the Music Room, He saw Monsieur Garier leaning on the grand piano, smoking a cigar. The other man in the room was who He had seen months ago when Madame Duprey was first introduced.

"So how is Mademoiselle Bovie?" asked the man.

"Oh please, Edouard, do you think I would still care? She is no longer my taste."

Hearing this news worried him. Monsieur Garier would have more free time to spend, no longer having the need to hide from the woman he was with. It was free time to focus on Madame Duprey.

"So you ended the relationship?" asked Edouard.

"No," said Monsieur Garier letting out a puff of smoke from his cigar. "But she will find out soon enough. I have already extended an invitation to Madame Sordeau for the Duke's party next week. No doubt by tomorrow the gossip among the women will have reached its way, and Mademoiselle Bovie will most likely be crushed. She will blame it on Madame Sordeau of course, as I spent time with her at the ball on Opening Night."

_Good_, he thought. Perhaps Monsieur Garier's attention will be diverted for a while, or at least he hoped.

"So where in the bloody hell is she?" asked Monsieur Garier beginning to look angry.

"I do not know. Bernadette told her of your impending visit I thought."

"Well if she does not arrive soon, I swear she will be taught a 'music' lesson with a harsh, driving tone."

Edouard laughed. From behind the mirror, his eyes narrowed at Monsieur Garier.

Then suddenly Madame Duprey appeared in the doorway. She was wearing a pale blue dress that had a fairly decorative train of ruffles in the back. Or at least, more decorative for her taste, was his thought. It was also off the shoulders, something she did not usually wear. This was indeed, most likely another dress Bernadette had purchased.

She glanced nervously at Monsieur Garier and bowed her head, curtsying slightly.

"About damn time," Monsieur Garier said in a sharp voice.

She said nothing, continuing not to look at him.

"Well come in then," he demanded as she was still standing in the doorway. She walked across the room, seeming to distance herself as far from Monsieur Garier as she could, finally standing near one of the opposite walls of the room." We need to talk about the next production. I want to hold off and cancel the next month worth of shows."

"_WHAT_**?" **Edouard asked incredulously.

Madame Duprey did not raise her head, but glanced with a surprised face at Monsieur Garier for a quick moment.

"Oh come now, Edouard. I know what I am doing," Monsieur Garier said smiling now as he continued to suck on his cigar.

"That…Forgive me…but that is just insane. Think of the cost…Think of the refund for those who have already purchased tickets," stammered Edouard

"I have not allowed anymore seats to be sold," said Monsieur Garier. "I already had my plan long ago."

_What is he up to_? he thought. Profit was something Monsieur Garier seemed to greatly care about and this was not making sense.

"Given that now we, or rather I, am a success," he said as he began to pace the room, "It is a known fact that seats will be high in demand for those who missed the opening performance. There were still a great many of the upper class, well known names that did not buy tickets. They thought the Opening would be a disaster, a humiliation to me."

He smiled at Madame Duprey who was listening with now a concerned look on her face as she continued to stare at the floor." But I knew better than they with our investment in the valuable asset we now have. Ah yes, I had little doubt from my information that Madame Duprey here would pay off. The fact that she turned out to be of decent looks was quite the bonus."

Monsieur Garier began walking toward Madame Duprey "Now, those who thought they would laugh at me are now in, shall we say, a binding situation? Now they have to congratulate me as is expected. I am now well established in the club, being invited to society's most prominent members' homes, parties, and even being asked about new investments."

He stopped walking a few feet in front of Madame Duprey, her eyes now glancing nervously upward at him. He looked at her, quiet for a moment, a continued smile of satisfaction on his face. He turned back to Edouard.

"Because they doubted me, they will now suffer with the realization that I have selectively decided to present a new production, not showing this last performance for quite some time. Everyone will be discussing the opening and those who ignored me will feel what it is like being on the outside. When I do decide to revive this last performance for a limited time, I will be able to sell seats at a price higher than you can imagine which will more than equal the amount of lapsed time in preparation for the next production."

He walked back to the piano and extinguished his cigar in an ashtray on a nearby table. The he leaned against the piano looking at Madame Duprey who had remained where she was. "And, realizing that I have halted this last performance, they will buy up the seats for the next production quite more quickly this time. They will be fearful that I could also pull it from the stage early. This will allow me to raise ticket prices even sooner."

"Well…I guess I have to say you know what you are doing, the Opening Night being such a success. But I hope such anticipation holds for the next production," said Edouard in a concerned voice.

Monsieur Garier laughed. "That will not be a problem, I assure you. The selection I have made with the next production will certainly draw an audience."

He walked over to a chair where his top coat was laying. Monsieur Garier reached beneath the coat and pulled out a large book. He tossed it on top of the piano causing some of the music sheets to spill out.

"La Muette de Portici," he said smiling at Madame Duprey.

She gave a slight reaction upon the announcement of the production, frowning. Still listening intently behind the mirror, He knew why. Such an Opera would not be as easy, especially with such an inexperienced Company.

"And in four weeks, we will once again be on top of Paris. No one will be talking about anything else."

Madame Duprey's raised her head up sharply at this comment, an incredulous look upon her face. "_Four weeks?_" she asked with wide eyes. "Monsieur…that is less than half the time I had to prepare for the last production. And your selection," she glanced away nervously then looked back at him, "while a very good Opera that no doubt will be intriguing, it will be…very complicated."

Monsieur Garier looked annoyed, raising his head and frowning at Madame Duprey. "You made the last production work and now you will make this one work."

"But the cast…the cast is very inexperienced."

"She does have a point," Edouard said, actually taking Madame Duprey's side for a moment.

"The cast, especially that Justine fellow, has been an overnight success. Now they will need to prove they are truly worthy of such praise," Monsieur Garier said in an agitated tone directly to Madame Duprey. "And the same can be said of _you_."

He was obviously now finished discussing the matter as he walked over to the chair for his coat. Edouard looked at Madame Duprey sympathetically, but followed Monsieur Garier.

"_No_."

For the first time, he heard her refuse Monsieur Garier. She was now standing with her head raised high, a look of determination on her face. Monsieur Garier, who was bending down to reach for his coat, stopped and straightened. Then he very slowly turned around to face her across the room.

"What did you just say?"

"I cannot accomplish this Monsieur," she said looking over at the music on the piano. "Much of the music to this production will need to be transposed, something that I cannot do in that limited amount of time, especially with such an inexperienced Company. I have no one to assist me."

"What the hell do you have Gautier for then?"

"Gautier has been an excellent assistant, but he does not have the experience to put such a complicated opera together such as this."

"What about the damn conductor?"

"He does not have the time…he has another position outside the Company."

"What?"

"I told you that you weren't offering enough salary for a conductor. Perhaps you should pay him more," said Edouard.

"I will not damn well pay anyone more than I am now! They bloody well owe the success of their careers to me!" Monsieur Garier said in an angry tone.

Madame Duprey stepped slightly forward. "I cannot do this. I assure you, the production will not succeed under these conditions. If you want to make the profits you are seeking, then you will give me more time. I _must_ have more time," she finished in a firm voice.

Monsieur Garier's demeanor suddenly changed to something he had not seen before. A look of loathing seemed to be the only way to describe the look upon his face toward her.

Then, in a sudden instant, Monsieur Garier was striding upon her. Madame Duprey's eyes grew fearful and she stumbled backwards, her back up against the wall. Monsieur Garier's hand struck her across the face and before she could recover, he grabbed hold of her. His one hand was around her upper arm, the other holding her other wrist bringing her face to his and she winced in pain.

"_I will not have a WOMAN tell me what to d_o!" he shouted into her face.

His fists clenched behind the mirror. Monsieur Garier had gone from kissing her to now physically harming her. But before he could even think about what he should do, Monsieur Garier released Madame Duprey, shoving her hard against the wall.

"You _will_ make it work or I will see to it that you will never work in Opera again! And that goes for any member of the Company as well," Monsieur Garier said in a low voice.

Edouard stepped forward slightly as if to say something, but Monsieur Garier glared at him, so he said nothing. Monsieur Garier walked briskly out of the room. Edourad hesitated for a moment, looking at Madame Duprey in a sad way, but also turned and left.

He saw Madame Duprey's small hand holding her wrist from pain. Still appearing shocked at what happened, she raised her hand to her face, glancing at one of the mirrors opposite from her. Her lower lip was bleeding slightly, a red mark already forming on her cheek. Seeing this, she broke down and began to cry. She walked over to the piano bench and sat down, letting the tears continue to fall.

He felt absolutely horrible for her. After all she had done, she had certainly not deserved this. Even though he had not been so sure Monsieur Garier would act violently, He now understood she must have sensed such a thing. This explained why she rarely raised her opinion or thought when near him. She knew a woman's voice meant nothing to Monsieur Garier. She was only something he owned and controlled.

He turned and walked down the corridor heading for the catacombs. But He slowed in his step as he continued to hear her cry.

_It is her choice to be in this position, _he thought. _ She can walk away. It is her choice._

But where would she go? He had no idea if she had family or anyone outside the Company. If she lost her position, would she be simply thrown out onto the street? And the Company, so many of them He had overheard talking about how grateful they were to have jobs to provide for their families. Enraged if the production failed, Monsieur Garier would be sure to let all of them go. And even if she decided to stay, she was right, there was no possible way to accomplish such a production in so little time.

He closed his eyes and sighed very deeply, unable to bear her crying and these thoughts. He shook his head. _Why am I even letting this affect me? _But he found himself turning around and walking back to the mirror.

She was now wiping away the tears, trying to regain composure and control her emotion. But her face grew very sad again when she glanced at the music on the piano, more tears beginning to stream down her face as she tried to think of what to do.

_I cannot believe I am doing this._ He took a rather deep breath and then opened the mirror, stepping into the room. "I can help you."

Upon him saying this, Madame Duprey jumped, looking very startled at the sound of his voice. No doubt he was frightening to her, not only because she had not known he was there, but because of his mask. It covered his entire face except for his mouth and chin, making it impossible for anyone to tell from lack of facial expression what he was feeling or thinking.

But he was also startled when she looked up at him. Not because of her reaction which he expected, but because of her eyes. Surprisingly, they were blue. He did not believe he ever saw a woman with brown hair and blue eyes. They were looking right at him. No, looking right _through_ him would be a better description. Those eyes were piercing, as if seeing into his very soul, something he was certain she would not want to see with his past.

"Who…who _are_ you?"

His mind went back to the realization that he was standing there in front of her. This was not a question he felt like answering at the moment. And it was certainly not something easy to answer.

He glanced down, sighing. "Why don't we just leave it for now as someone who can help you," he said quietly slowly raising his eyes to hers again. He looked over to the music lying on the piano. "I can help you with that."

She looked hesitantly at the music and then nervously turned her head with those eyes back at him.

"You know that it is impossible to transpose the music in so little of time. I can do it for you while you begin to prepare the cast for the production. With my help, you can even begin to rehearse the first songs in the next few days." He was growing a bit impatient at her hesitancy.

_What did she have to lose at this point? _ _And quit staring damn it. _Those piercing eyes were making him uncomfortable. For some reason, she made him feel very conscious that his soul was condemned to Hell, something he already knew quite well.

She looked down for a moment, thinking. Then she raised her eyes again. "Alright," she said quietly with a tremor He heard clearly in her voice.

_Finally_, he thought. He walked forward quickly taking the music from on top of the piano. Before he walked through the mirror, he turned around. "I will be back here tomorrow evening with what I have finished." She glanced away for a moment and then slightly nodded. He turned and left.

_What have I gotten myself into? _he asked himself angrily as he made his way back down to the catacombs. He could still change his mind. He could walk back up and place the music where she would find it, letting her know she was on her own. But he could not bring himself to go back on what he felt like he had just promised.

_I did not promise her anything_, he thought bitterly. But he also did not want to see her or the Company fail. He had grown too attached to the current surroundings and wanted to continue hearing Opera, the one thing that still gave him any pleasure in life.

Swearing at himself for breaking his secrecy, he placed the music on his piano. Not only had he lost his quiet life, now he had to interact with someone outside his world, and he would also have little time to work on his own music. He pushed aside the music sheets he had been working on and sat down shaking his head. Then he took pen in hand and began to work on transposing the first song.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"But why did he desert Fenella?" asked Justine. He and his fellow cast members were sitting in a circle on the stage.

Madame Duprey smiled patiently as she walked among them, trying to explain the story of the Opera they were to perform. "Because he was betrothed to marry Elvira."

"So?"

"Surely you know that such arrangements between families have been important for years."

"No," said Justine. "I would not, being that I am not from such a prominent family. And, even if I were, that would not even enter my mind to do such a thing, not knowing someone that I would have to marry."

"Because you would want someone to marry that you love?" asked Dion.

"No, because I would need to make sure she had a pretty face," replied Justine smiling. Julia, who was sitting next to him scoffed and swatted him while the cast laughed.

Up in the balcony, he smiled and shook his head at Justine's remark. He was half listening to this discussion as he continued to work on transposing the music. He had been up most of the night, working at a feverish pace to have a few of the songs completed by this evening to give to Madame Duprey.

Madame Duprey also shook her head slightly. "And so, Masaniello vows revenge," she continued.

"Who is Masaniello?" asks Andre.

"The brother of Fenella."

"You would know that if you were listening earlier, you idiot," scolded Armond."I was listening. But you said Masaniello ends up saving Alfonso and Elvira. How could a brother do such a thing?"

"Masaniello did not intend for such a thing to go so far, and in the end it is too late with his followers turning against him," Madame Duprey says, walking around them.

"And what happens to Fenella?" asks Maurice.

"After Pietro poisons Masaniello, he then dies by the hand of one of his followers. Upon hearing this, Fenella kills herself."

"_And this is a love story?_" asks Justine in a sarcastic tone looking up at Madame Duprey.

"Yes, Justine. It is about the betrayal of love and the realization of what true love is," said Madame Duprey stopping in front of him.

"And that is…?"

She sighed at him, quiet for a moment. "That love is not something that can be defined only by the surface. Masaniello demonstrates the ultimate sacrifice in love with the realization that life is more important than revenge, even with the betrayal of love."

Finishing another section of the song he was working on, he was listening more intensely to her words. It was interesting to him that that she seemed to know the story of this Opera fairly well, her voice sounding so sincere addressing the love story line.

He turned his attention back to the piece he was working on. Knowing that Julia would be singing Elvira, he was adapting some of the areas to her vocal range. Christine would have been perfect for this role, her voice able to reach such heights that it would easily lead the entire cast. But he knew that was certainly not going to happen. Not only did Monsieur Garier refuse to spend money on guest opera singers, he highly doubted Christine would have ever returned to Paris anyway.

He had first followed highlights of Christine's career for a short time through the newspapers, but found it too painful. He had read a few years ago that Christine was asked if she would ever return to the Paris Opera House she debuted. Much to his dismay, she answered by saying that part in her life was complete, and she would only hold onto the memory as it would never be the same. His still felt pain when he thought of her. Despite his efforts to concentrate on the creation of his music, he could never push Christine completely out of his mind. He missed her voice sometimes terribly and it was the inspiration for much of his music.

There was a sudden crashing sound and he looked up to see Philippe stumbling across the stage. It appeared he had just climbed down off of a ladder to the side of the stage and had missed one of the steps, most likely due to his short legs. Apparently he had fallen to the floor, the ladder coming down with him. Fortunately for Philippe, it missed landing on him.

"Well for someone as quiet as Philippe, he still knows how to make a lot of noise!" laughed Justine. "It is obvious he cannot play the role of the mute girl!"

"Shut up," shot Maurice back at Justine.

"Oh please Maurice, I was only kid-,"

"I know your thoughts, Justine," said Maurice in a low voice.

"Stop," said Madame Duprey, looking at both of them sternly.

"I did not start anything, I was only jesting!"

"_Justine!_" Madame Duprey said in an angry tone looking at him. Justine quieted immediately, looking down.

"Go on, Philippe," she said as he got to his feet with a scared look on his face. "I will see you later and show you what past sets we have when the production was first shown at the debut of this Opera House." She watched as Philippe scurried off the stage. The cast was looking nervously at her.

Madame Duprey sighed. "I am sorry, but we do not have much time. This production will debut in four weeks." The cast gave a strong reaction to this, talking all at once.

"_Four weeks_?"

"That won't be possible."

"Do we have to perform the other production during this time also?"

"I heard the shows got cancelled."

"How are we going to learn all that in so little time?"

"_Enough!_" said Madame Duprey in an exasperated voice. "I have just as much, if not more concern, than all of you. But we have no choice. Monsieur Garier has in fact cancelled any further performances and expects this next production to be completed on time. If we work hard, I have no doubt we can accomplish anything."

Upon hearing this conversation, the conductor who had been sitting with the musicians to the right of stage, quickly stood up and walked over to Madame Duprey.

"The score will need quite a bit of work to adjust with what we have," he said to her in a concerned voice.

"Yes, I know."

"And just how do you plan to do this in so little of time? Please Madame, I would gladly help you. But you know I cannot due to my other position outside this Company. How is it that you are going to accomplish such a task?"

"Well…," she hesitated, glancing around for a moment.

He looked up from the music he was working on, his gaze falling upon her. He tightened his jaw, wondering what she was about to say.

"Monsieur Garier has provided someone to help," she finished.

"He has?" asked the conductor incredulously. "Who?"

"It does not matter; it is someone who can help me with the music. Hopefully we can begin rehearsing some of the songs in the next few days. Please, let's return to discussing the story and getting the feel for the characters."

The Company murmured among themselves. The conductor looked at Madame Duprey questioningly, but then returned to his seat with the musicians. In the balcony, he looked down and finished the last section of the song he was working on.

When he looked through the mirror into the Music Room that evening, he saw Madame Duprey pacing from one end of the room to the next. Her fingers were playing with the ends of her hair and she glanced around at the mirrors as she walked. She was waiting for him.

Once more he took a deep breath and opened the mirror stepping through. She saw him immediately this time and stopped suddenly, her eyes looking at him nervously. She released hair from her fingers and slowly walked over to the piano.

He was not sure if he should say something. What should he say? He had a few of the songs completed and that was the only reason he was here. He walked over slowly and extended his hand to her with the folder that contained the music. Still looking nervous, Madame Duprey accepted the folder and very carefully opened it. She studied his handwritten music for a few moments.

_Have I not written what she thought been needed for this cast? Was she unhappy about the key I selected? _But then a small smile came upon her face, growing larger as she flipped through the music sheets. Relieved at this, he nodded. He certainly did not want to go back and transpose the same songs again.

"It is good to see you smile again," he said quietly. Her smile faded slightly upon him saying this and she looked at him.

_Yes_, he thought, _I have been watching you. It's not like you would not know that by now. _He looked away from her eyes back to the mirror.

"I should have the next few songs completed by tomorrow evening. I will return then." he walked back to the mirror and was about to open it when he suddenly heard her voice.

"Did…did you watch the rehearsal today?"

He stopped, lowering his hand from the mirror but did not turn around, his head down. He hesitated, unsure if he should respond.

"I had Justine sing a few of the parts that I remembered. And Andre sang also. I…I cannot decide if I should designate Andre for the role of Alfonso or Masaniello. Justine looks more the part of Masaniello, however Andre…well, he has more sincerity in his nature for the role."

He looked up in the mirror, his eyes meeting hers. It was then he noticed the one side of her cheek still appeared slightly red, though she had tried to conceal the mark with rouge which she normally barely put on. She was also wearing deeper lip color most likely to hide the bruise on her lower lip. He felt a wave of sympathy for a moment.

"Justine's voice carries better to the back of the theater. The acoustics enhance his tone more than Andre," he said quietly. "The part of Masaniello has a higher range needing a stronger voice, better suited for Justine." He was surprised at himself for being so forward in his opinion with her.

He saw her nod slowly in agreement. "I have not had the time to even listen from the back of the theater." She breathed a sigh. "And I have not been able to learn the acoustics of this Opera House as I would have liked by now."

Silence followed her comment. He wasn't sure what else he should say and he looked down.

"Thank you," he heard Madame Duprey say softly.

He did not look back up into the mirror. However, he bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement. Then he tapped the mirror in its secret way and he stepped out of the room.

The next day as he sat once more in the balcony working, Madame Duprey was beginning to work with Andre and the orchestra. Andre seemed to be having a difficult time accepting that he had to play someone who had abandoned a poor, helpless mute. Despite his close friendship with Justine, who would not even think twice about the consequences of being with different women, Andre seemed to have a softer heart. It also did not help that Madame Duprey had selected a rather young blonde by the name of Felicite. She was one of the dancers in the chorus with talent in her raw movements to music. Not only did Andre confuse her name with the character Fenella, he was finding it difficult to concentrate on such a love scene with what was so obviously an innocent young girl.

This delighted Justine who continually teased Andre over the situation. Andre however, did not find the circumstances amusing and even approached Madame Duprey on a break from rehearsal.

"Justine would be better suited for this role," Andre said quietly to her, trying to avoid Jusine's eyes watching them from across the stage. Justine was putting his hand up to his ear so he could obviously be seen by Andre as he tried to listen in.

"Why? Are you actually letting Justine's remarks get in the way of your ability to play the part?" asked Madame Duprey.

"N..no. It's just that…," Andre looked down at the stage. "I…she looks so…"

"Young and innocent?"

Andre flushed with embarrassment. Justine was practically on the floor laughing. Madame Duprey tilted her head looking up at Andre. "You feel almost sorry for the girl, as if you are somehow even, shall we say, _using_ her in this performance?"

"Why…I mean…well, why would you say that?"

"Because Andre, you like her and do not want to be mean to her. Even if it is only acting, you feel like you are leading her on in love and than betraying her. And because you like her, I am very confident in my choice of her and you for the characters."

"Why?"

"Who will the audience choose? Will their heart be torn because of such young innocence taken and betrayed? Or will they feel the pull of sadness when faced with the choice if death was worth such a loss?"

"I understand," mumbled Andre. "But that doesn't help my personal feelings. I am not even sure Fenella has ever been in any relationship, except this one now with me on stage."

"You mean Felicite," corrected Madame Duprey.

"Yes whatever," said Andre looking flustered again.

"Andre, if this personally concerns you so, demonstrate to her the professional you can be. Demonstrate the gentleman nature you have inside. Any woman will understand if you treat them with such respect."

"Respect…right," muttered Andre and he ambled back across the stage waving Justine off who began to dance around him.

"_Justine_."

Justine stopped, and as if caught like a child, slowly walked over to Madame Duprey his shoulders slumped.

"I want you to take Felicite out this evening."

"_What_?"

"And take Andre."

"Why? And what if I had other plans?"

"I am sure you will think of something. Do as I say, please." Madame Duprey walked back over to the orchestra.

_Interesting_, he thought from up in the balcony. Why she would ask Justine of this, He was unsure. But she seemed confident in her request which was just as well with how things seem to be going. With Andre's reaction, He suddenly doubted the opinion He had given to Madame Duprey regarding Justine playing Alfonso. Andre was certainly, as she had said, more suited for the brother role. But it did not seem to worry her. She had a good point regarding her selection of the cast knowing what the audience would be thinking and feeling.

He listened as Julia was attempting to practice her first entrance. Although he had written the music in a better key for her vocal range, she was still having trouble. And why not? This was not an amateur opera, not easy for even experienced divas to sing.

Madame Duprey was working patiently with Julia, but it became clear to him that even she was showing some frustration, no doubt the time constraints weighing heavily on her mind as she continued to take more time with this one part. Julia was beginning to appear slightly upset not being able to please Madame Duprey. When they finally took a break, Julia wiped away a few tears. Interestingly enough, He observed that it was Justine who consoled Julia, putting his arm around her and whispering a few encouraging words.

With rehearsal done for the day, he walked back to the Music Room. There again was Madame Duprey, but this time she was sitting at the piano looking at the music he had given her the night before. He entered the room.

"Mademoiselle?" he asked politely, trying not to startle her.

"She cannot sing the part of Elvira," Madame Duprey said quietly.

He was taken aback that she spoke to him as quickly as she had, not even looking up. "You have no one else that can," he replied, knowing she was talking about Julia.

She put her face in her hands, and then rubbed her eyes giving a deep sigh. She picked up the music sheet in front of her looking at it intensely, continuing to think.

He was still standing in front of the mirror, the music he had just finished in his hands. He thought for a moment and then walked over to the piano. He carefully slid over to himself the other pages on top of the piano she had been looking at.

"Perhaps it may be better to blend more music with her voice," he said looking over the music.

She looked up at him, glancing at the music he was holding. "Or blend the voices," she said thoughtfully.

"I think that would be rather hard to do in a solo," he said looking at her.

"Why does it have to be a solo?"

"Because that is how the song was meant to be according to the composer."

"So? Why not bring in some of the chorus girls?"

"First, how are you going to bring them into such a scene? Second, the traditional entrance is a solo," he said. He was slightly surprised that she was thinking of this.

"Maybe I do not care about tradition," she said frowning at Him. "Besides, think about it. Blending voices would work." She was suddenly on her feet next to Him looking at the music He was holding.

She was now standing close, _too_ close to him. Although he towered over her, it felt like it was she who was practically on top of him. He took a small step back to regain his space. But she didn't seem to notice this and moved closer, her hand pointing to a section of the music in his hands.

"Julia's voice may blend in very well with two others right here. And I could even bring Andre in for more balance." She paused for a moment. "Although, I would not say we have the most talented singers for even a small trio of women. However, Chantel has shown some promise."

He was still distracted by her standing so close. The last woman this close to him like this physically was Christine. His mind did not seem to be working at the moment.

"You think it is so terrible of an idea?"

Her question brought his mind back to the issue at hand. "It is…different," he said slowly. "As for a third voice, I would select Olivie," he said, still unsure of the entire idea.

"I had not thought of her," said Madame Duprey still looking at the music. She had pulled back her hand now, placing it behind her back with her other arm. But she still had not moved away. "She does have a more mature voice."

"Or Nicole may be very good."

She gave him a surprised look. "Oh please, have you really listened and observed her? I doubt she would have the concentration. She is much better suited as a dancer."

Finally Madame Duprey moved away from him back to the piano. Her response to his suggestion made him feel slightly irritated toward her. He had just worked on these songs and now she wanted to change them, even though she portrayed an image to him that she liked his work yesterday. "Lack of concentration does not always mean there is a lack of talent," he replied flatly.

"But her voice is not as pleasant as Olivie or Chantel. Nicole lacks the intensity or strength in her singing. It is not within her nature… she moves to music, not as much sings to it."

"But if she still feels the music so well, than perhaps she only needs a bit of direction." He was looking right at Madame Duprey now, his comment conveying this was her job to bring forth such talent as the director.

"Yet if there is no initiative or drive to produce movement within a song from her voice, Nicole will never achieve status as a singer," she said without hesitation right back to him.

Good Lord, she was still arguing with him. She did not know who he was or what type of man stood before her. Why was she so intimidated with Monsieur Garier and not him? He was by far more dangerous than Monsieur Garier. She was looking expectedly at him for his next response. She was ready to argue this point for as long as it would take it seemed. He shook his head, giving a sigh.

"Fine, then make the scene outside so it is easier for Olivie and Chantel to join Julia during the part. You can stage the rest of the chorus in a variety of areas and portray the three of them as friends."

"Yes, that is a good idea. Philippe can introduce the town in that first scene with Julia. That will tie in together nicely with the corresponding sets to follow." She seemed pleased, a small smile on her face and her eyes were bright with this thought.

_Well, at least I thought of something that pleased her_. He put the music He was holding back down on the piano in front of her. Both were quiet for a moment. He was still trying to come to the reality that he was even here speaking with her. But now he knew that reality was finished.

"Well," he said finally. "I hope all else goes well for you."

"What do you mean?"

He looked at the folder he had placed on the piano earlier. "The rest of the music is there," he said pointing. "It is completed. Now you can continue to concentrate on the rest of the production." He knew she was completely surprised at this. He was too actually. But he had worked non-stop on the music without sleep and had finished.

"Oh," she said, almost looking disappointed as she glanced at the folder.

He bowed his head politely at her, turned, and walked back to the mirror.

"Monsieur?"

He stopped and slowly turned around to face her again.

"Do you…do you watch all the rehearsals?"

He was unsure how to answer this. Of course he did, but why was she asking?

"Are you here all the time?"

Now she was asking too many questions. Although this encounter over the past few days with her had been interesting, he did not need it to go further in revealing anything more about him. He turned his head slightly, looking away from her.

"I apologize," she said quietly. "It is just that…well, I need someone to give me criticism during the rehearsals. I have no one who can do that. It is obvious from your talent that you would be a great deal of help to me with your opinion."

This was not something he expected. He had simply thought, or maybe even hoped, that he would help her with the music and return to how things were. But the thought of somehow being involved in the creation of a production intrigued him. It had been so long and he would by lying if he said his heart did not jump at the opportunity.

"Would you be interested?" she asked. "I…I would not ask much…just to visit me here in the Music Room to talk?"

His eyes slowly looked at her. If he did this, what would it mean to him? He had already resolved to live a quiet life, to finish his music in his last days. He thought about saying no to her. But something inside him was making it hard to refuse.

"Yes," he finally said, surprised at himself for his simple answer. He wouldn't have to visit her _every_ evening, he thought.

"Thank you," she said. Then she walked forward a few steps. Did this mean He was now not allowed to leave? "Do you live here?" she asked.

He turned his head, this time sharply away from her again. If she continued to ask him questions such as this then perhaps he should change his answer.

"Alright," she said raising her hands gesturing to him that she was going to stop. She walked back in front of the piano. Then she hoisted herself up, sitting on top of the piano, her legs dangling, almost in the manner of a young child rather than a grown woman.

"I will not ask you any further questions," she paused looking at him intently. "But only if you answer one question of my choosing."

Looking at her now, He was a bit incredulous at this request. She needed him more than he needed her. To give into such a demand was not something he had to do. He could simply go back to his quiet life if He refused her. But he also wanted to be a part of this production. That was the reason he said yes in the first place. What one question would she ask? There were too many that could not be answered so simply, giving her more information than he wanted to divulge.

She was silent, watching him with those piercing blue eyes as He contemplated this dilemma.

"Alright," he finally said sighing. He could always refuse to answer was his final thought.

Madame Duprey tilted her head at Him, her expression still serious. "What… is your name?"

With the realization this was the one question she was going to ask, he heard himself give a quiet laugh under his breath.

"Erik."

A very slow smile came across her face. "You may call me Laurette. Mademoiselle is much too formal for someone like me," she said. And with that, she hopped off the piano and sat down on the bench.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"No, I do not like Justine coming onto the stage from there." Laurette was in the Music Room leaning against one of the walls with her arms crossed, looking at Erik. He was sitting at the piano, his hands folded in his lap.

"I assure you, it will make more of an impact," Erik said.

"Justine makes enough of an impact on his own," replied Laurette smiling.

"That he does."

"I actually think his entrance should be…more, shall we say, balanced to the entire scene."

_She wants everything to be well balanced it seems_, he thought. "The appearance of Masinello from behind the building will draw the audience attention away from Alfonso and Elvira which will be the goal for them to hide," Erik said, trying to be patient.

"I want him to enter from center stage."

"The set Philippe has designed will not allow for that in this scene."

"Then he can re-design it."

Now Erik felt like strangling her. Well, no, not really. But he did find it rather daunting with how she asked for his advice only to constantly refute it. In fact, Erik wasn't quite sure why he even bothered giving her feedback. She argued with everything it seemed.

"You know that will take too much time," he said looking at her frowning.

She gave a frown right back at him. "Well we haven't asked Philippe yet, have we? He might be able to come up with a very quick solution. You should not underestimate him."

"I am not underestimating him by any means. All I am saying is that it will still take more time."

She walked over to the piano bench and sat down next to him in somewhat of a huff. Although Erik still stiffened at her being so close, he was getting somewhat used to it from the last few long nights. He had thought to only visit her in the evenings once in a while, but this first week had proven him wrong. Erik was seeing her every night. There was just too much to do and she asked him to come back after every evening they talked.

Erik sighed, looking at the music in front of him. "Alright then, if you can find a way for Philippe to change the set, then we can use the same background for the dance number."

Hearing this, Laurette placed her head down on top of the piano, burying her face in her arms in an exasperated way.

"What?" Erik asked, as she shook her head on top of the piano. He was secretly laughing as he knew this was the reaction she was going to give. He had been after her for the last few nights not to cut out the dance scene like she wanted to.

"Oh, Erik please," she said, her voice muffled in her arms.

"It would not be that difficult," Erik said back to her.

She raised her head looking at him. "You know that it will be. I thought you just said you wanted to take less time."

"Not if it means sacrificing the beauty of the performance."

"I am _not_ sacrificing anything!" Her face was growing red.

"Are you sure of that?"

"One cut dance scene does not mean we sacrifice the meaning of the story!"

She was so keyed up now that Erik had to stifle himself from laughing at her. Of course he knew she would never sacrifice anything for a performance. But Erik had to use this sore spot to his advantage. Laurette scowled, but Erik did not retreat from her eyes like he normally did.

_I will sit here firm until those damn eyes burn my soul or I get what I want_.

"Why is this so important to you?" she asked in an exasperated tone.

"If there is one thing you do have in this young Company, it is natural talent. It would be a loss not to use those dancers."

"But I am not a choreographer and it is certainly not likely that Monsieur Garier will be allowing us to get one."

"You did fine with the last production," Erik said quietly.

Laurette closed her eyes, now her turn trying to be patient with him. "If you want to have the dance scene, it cannot be as simple as in the last production. This Opera calls for a much more complicated performance. That is something I cannot do." She opened her eyes and looked back at the music. Obviously, she was hoping this would convince him to drop the subject.

"Then use Nicole."

Laurette looked at him questioningly.

"You said yourself she has natural talent to move to the music. Let her try to put something together." He glanced at the clock. It was already early morning and Laurette needed to sleep. There might not be enough time left in the night to win this argument.

"How do you expect her to take on such responsibility, especially leading the other more experienced dancers? We have many dancers besides her, even younger with more talent I think."

"Nicole is in fact _the_ youngest dancer and probably most talented," Erik replied, knowing full well this would infuriate her.

"_Erik_!"

"What?"

Laurette laid the side of her head back down on top of the piano, looking at him. She seemed very tired suddenly.

"Fine."

"_Really_?"

"I said yes."

"I am quite at a loss. Let me take the time to savor this moment."

"Oh hush," Laurette said. She suddenly got up from the piano walking over to the chaise and sat down. She wasn't really angry, was she?

Erik was quiet for a moment. "Laurette, you do not have to, really. I apologize for taking it so far. You are the director."

She smiled wearily back at him. "No, I will ask Nicole tomorrow."

He watched as she lifted her legs up onto the chaise and was surprised as she kicked off her shoes. For some reason, it caught his attention that she had very tiny feet. But then Laurette saw him looking at her feet and she quickly retreated them underneath the skirt of her dress.

Erik turned his head back to the piano. "You need to get some sleep," he said and stood up.

She only nodded in response, apparently too tired to say anything else. He looked down at the music from the scene they had been working on for a moment, still thinking.

"You will let me know tomorrow evening how Maurice does," Erik heard her ask.

He looked at her and this time slightly gave her a smile.

"No," he said amused as she responded with a confused face.

"Why?"

"You do not remember do you?"

She still looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"You have an appointment with the dressmaker after rehearsal tomorrow."

Laurette rolled her eyes and sat up, letting out a resentful sigh. Erik bit his lower lip to keep from smiling again. "Well, I am glad _someone_ finds it so amusing," she said in a gruff tone looking up at him.

"Well I thought having a dress made would be something most women would like." Knowing what he had observed with her when it came to such things, Erik could not help suppress a light laugh when he said this.

"Well, most women also do not direct opera either do they?" she snapped and stood up from the chaise.

"This is true."

"Well, it is a perfectly good waste of time when we could work on the production if you ask me. I will see you the night after tomorrow then." Erik bowed his head politely and she left the room.

He walked over to the mirror to leave and then saw something in the reflection that caught his attention. Erik turned around looking at the floor underneath the chaise and shook his head.

Two small shoes remained toppled over each other on the floor.

Two weeks passed by quickly, too quickly. Erik was working just as hard as Laurette it seemed. During the day he watched from the balcony, sometimes even moving about the back of the theater to watch from different vantages. This sometimes proved even more challenging when it came to remaining hidden. Only Box 5 had a secret entrance and Erik had to very quietly slip in and around the different areas of the theater seats so not to be seen. He had a few close calls, even some minor glimpses from members of the Company. This of course just bolstered the phantom tale, which satisfied Erik so long as it went no further than gossip.

He hoped his agreement with Laurette would not doom his secrecy within the Opera House. Despite the traps and deadly weapons prepared to be tripped should anyone near his home, Erik still worried that giving into his weakness to be a part of this production may bring him a premature ending. If there was one wish Erik had, it was to end his life when and where he chose. The thought of anyone putting him on display either in life or death haunted him more than any opera ghost tale.

When he did move about the theater during rehearsals, Erik was constantly writing down thoughts that he later shared with Laurette. As he grew to know her more in conversation about the production, Erik was finding that she became more willing to use parts of his ideas, though she still had to have a good argument with him before agreeing to anything.

He still had learned little about her past from a personal standpoint. Since the agreement was that she could not ask him any further questions, Erik found it hard to push her for personal information despite his growing curiousity. But this evening, Erik found an opportunity to link what they were working on to see if he could find out more.

"Nicole is coming along nicely with the choreography, yes?"

"Yes, I have to admit that she seems to have natural leadership ability. The other dancers seem to follow her with little question surprisingly," said Laurette as she scribbled down some changes to the music in a scene they were working on. She was sitting at the piano while he sat in one of the arm chairs in the room.

"I saw you reviewing some of the different movements she had written down and then you changed a few of them."

"So?" She was eyeing him suspiciously as if she were preparing herself for his criticism.

He laughed. "Nothing, I just meant that even without actually seeing the steps, you seemed to be able to picture the movements from what she wrote down."

"Oh. Yes." Laurette looked back down at the music.

"You seem to know ballet well. Were you a dancer?" Erik asked knowing full well the answer to this question. He remembered the conversation he overheard with the dancers in the first production.

"Well no. …," Laurette paused glancing at him, then looking back at the music. Was she actually nervous around him suddenly? "My…my mother was a ballet dancer," she said a bit awkwardly.

"Oh, I see. Did she teach you ballet?" Erik asked, now intrigued that he was finally learning something personal about her.

"No, not really, I would not say she had the time. However, I had to…I watched a lot when I was a child." Laurette was still looking at the music sheets in front of her.

"She took you to rehearsals?"

"I _lived_ at rehearsals."

Erik almost laughed at this. He thought about asking more questions to see if she would answer.

Laurette must have sensed this as she looked up at him slowly and then quietly put the pen down. "So now it is fair for you to ask me questions?"

She was onto what he had been doing immediately. Laurette seemed to be extremely aware of him, even if no harm was intended. "You are right, it is not fair of me to ask you such questions," he said looking at her. He looked at the floor for a moment then back to her. "Why don't we begin Act III? There are a few areas that we need to think about with the first song."

She stood up and walked around to the side of the piano and leaned against it, looking at him. "I have to admit that you deserve some answer in regards to my skills as a director. I am unsure what it is you know about my background to lead such a Company. Though I do appreciate up until now you have not made me feel like an inexperienced, or perhaps a more descriptive word would be, a _woman_ director," she laughed almost bitterly.

Erik was quiet for a moment. "_Are_ there any other directors that are women?" he finally asked.

"None that I am aware. Or at least, none that are public." She had what appeared to be a sad look on her face.

"Well, I must say," Erik said, suddenly wanting to lift her spirits, "Although I admit that I was surprised when you were first announced, your talent as a director was proven to me very quickly. I have no doubt there are male directors with by far less talent than you have demonstrated."

At this, she gave way to a small smile. "Thank you. And I do appreciate your sincerity. I would not say others are so generous in their words. I am not compared to other directors, only to women in general."

"Why is that?" Perhaps this question was a little naïve of him with his social skills. He really had not recently observed women outside of the Opera House other than when he had late night walks. And women out that late were by no means from upper class society. He knew it appeared that being matched in marriage apparently was important somehow, at least from what he surmised with the men appearing to show off the women almost like property. But that was the very little he knew.

"Because I am not what society, specifically the upper society, expects," Laurette said.

"And what is it that they expect?"

"Certainly not an Opera director." Laurette shook her head slightly and sighed. She must have sensed he was still slightly confused by this as she continued. "Women do not hold such leadership type positions. Perhaps the highest position would be for a head maid to be in charge of a staff of women, but even that type of work is part of traditional domestic chores that is expected. Though God forbid a task such as cleaning would ever be performed by a woman in upper society."

"Then what do they do?"

She laughed at this question making him feel self-conscious that perhaps it was something he should know. But her answer surprised him.

"I do not know."

"They have to do…something," he said to her. At least raise children was a thought, but then Erik remembered overhearing the women in the audience in regards to servants doing this.

"It is not a life I have aspired to be, so I do not know. I can tell you, women in upper society hold a great deal of respect depending on their husband's position. The wealthier the man, the higher level the woman is viewed."

"What about opera singers?" he asked suddenly thinking of Christine.

"The world of the arts and those in it are usually highly respected. Once successful, they are automatically adopted into such an upper class world. Everyone wants to be associated with them because they draw such a crowd," she finished.

"And would you not say that you fall into that category?"

She frowned slightly. "Yes and no. The fact that I am a woman in a leadership role brings a certain amount of disrespect. And yet the fact that I am a curiousity, especially now given the success of the first production, they are forced to place me on a higher level. Although I believe this perspective comes more from the women than the men. I have not encountered that nearly as many men appear to look down on me for being a director, although they do seem slightly amused at times."

Erik thought to respond by saying she was most likely viewed as a threat by other women as he specifically remembered the incident between her and Madame Bovie. But he changed his mind as such a comment might be too personal. Not to mention it would confirm that he had witnessed Monsieur Garier kissing her. However, this conversation was still personal in nature, at least for him, as it confirmed to Laurette that he lived in seclusion from the type of questions he asked. She had not asked him anything, and yet it was his questions that now were providing insight to her about him. She had to know who he was by now. Then Erik heard Laurette speak ever so softly.

"I knew why Monsieur Garier wanted me here." She smiled slightly, her eyes meeting his for a moment.

_Was she referring to the publicity of the opera house or his condition of intimacy?_

"How was it that you learned opera so well?" he asked.

"My stepfather…," she paused for a moment, "My stepfather is Monsieur Mortimer Beaumont. Have you heard of him?"

Erik did recognize the name. He was well known for the direction of performances in an opera house southwest of Paris, near the city of Versailles. Erik himself had studied any details he ever found in news reports and reviews of productions held there.

"Now I see where you get your attention to such detail. He must have been a good teacher," Erik said impressed at this news. Her reaction however, slightly puzzled him as she almost winced at his words.

"Yes, you could say that," she said glancing away to the side, then looking down. "He was…is…very sure of what he wants."

Was this a characteristic that was bad? He did not think so as she certainly seemed to know what she wanted. It was a confident demeanor she portrayed in her style of directing most likely learned from Monsieur Beaumont.

"My mother married him when I was a child. She of course, was one of the ballet dancers in the company."

"What happened to your real father?" asked Erik.

She looked a bit apprehensively at him with this question. Maybe things were getting too personal now. But she answered him.

"Apparently he died when I was only a few years old. I never knew him."

"And where is your mother now? Does she live near Versailles with Monsieur Beaumont?"

"No," she said quietly looking back down. "My mother died several years ago apparently caused by a fever of some sort. She was ill for quite a few years when I was growing up."

"I am sorry," Erik said. He moved his hands from the arms of the chair to his lap where he folded them, continuing to listen intently on what she was finally telling him about her past.

Laurette must have been getting tired of standing as she hopped up on the piano to sit on it. This was a habit of hers he was getting used to seeing.

"And so Monsieur Beaumont continued as a stepfather and teacher to you I assume," Erik asked.

"Yes…I guess you could say that," she said looking down as she let her legs and feet sway back in forth under the skirt of her dress.

He noticed suddenly that the skirt of the dress had fine detailed lace. While the deep blue dress was somewhat plain looking which was to her taste, this dress looked as if it had been lovingly stitched with intricate patterns of detail when looked upon closely. He noticed earlier that it had a small sweeping train, again, something she did not usually wear as it was inconvenient for her during rehearsals. Did this mean Monsieur Garier was paying a visit today?

"How was your meeting with the dressmaker?" he asked suddenly thinking of this. Laurette scowled at him and Erik laughed lightly, hoping she would bring up something in regards to the dress she wore today and if Monsieur Garier was going to stop by. He thought about saying something in regards to the dress she was wearing, but that was too…well, intimate might be a word. Erik didn't want her to think he so closely paid attention to what she wore giving her any wrong impression that he liked her in some romantic way.

"So…," Erik said wanting to return to their conversation about her past when he realized she was not going to say nothing further about the topic of dress, "Monsieur Beaumont must have seen the talent you had which made him decide to take you on as a student."

She laughed. "As a child, I _hated_ opera."

"That, I cannot see," he said a bit surprised.

Laurette sighed. "While other children went to school, my education was assisting in any way I could at the Opera House. I was, shall we say, free help and that was my job. I did everything from washing the floors to sewing some of the costumes. He certainly at first did not treat me like I had any talent."

"But something must have changed," Erik said tilting his head at her.

"Yes. Gradually, he began to use me to help in voice warm ups with the cast." She suddenly smiled. "Like Justine, I hated the singers practicing scales. It was I who forced them to practice, a task not very exciting."

"Oh come now, I am certain that Justine loves singing warm up exercises slightly more than walking in circles," Erik said smiling. Laurette laughed at this and it made him feel somewhat better in lifting her spirits.

"Yes, well, I will say that I did eventually learn how important it is to warm up one's voice. In time, Monsieur Beaumont, my stepfather, expected me to rehearse some of the songs before he even arrived. Fortunately, I seem to pick up playing the piano fairly quickly as a child and this impressed the chorus, even the stars of the show. For someone who had never studied music, it seemed very natural to me. When I had suggestions, they began to listen and even began to ask for my opinion. I have to admit, that this made me feel, well… wanted…that someone actually cared about what I had to say."

He nodded. Erik could sympathize in the feeling of being wanted. In a way, that was why he was here. There was no way society would ever accept what was hidden beneath his mask. But keeping to her word, Laurette never asked him why he wore it, though he was certain she must know by now from the Opera Ghost stories he heard the cast discussing. Erik appreciated that she seemed to only care about what he thought, not what he looked like. Or at least this is what he told himself to feel better. He wasn't really sure how much she had thought about his mask, but Laurette did genuinely seem to not hold such a thing against him. Their conversation made him feel like a normal man with no mask, no history of murder, and no secrecy. Though Erik knew these thoughts were only a fantasy and not real, he enjoyed the feeling of it.

"So Monsieur Beaumont began to let you lead other areas of the performances," Erik asked, now turning his attention away from his thoughts back to her.

"Yes. I was given larger responsibilities as I grew older. Monsieur Beaumont began to use me for set design, transposing music, even filling in as understudy to any role in the performance as needed." Erik noticed her voice quivered slightly as she said this. He could not figure out why this conversation was making her appear so nervous.

"I began to direct small productions for shows during the day," she said continuing. "It was a good way to make me responsible for an entire show, making me practice my directing skills before I began with any main production."

"So eventually you began to assist him in directing the major performances. I must say, that if you worked alongside him for a number of years, it certainly must have taught you quite a bit," Erik said. He was still impressed by her having such a mentor.

Laurette sharply looked down after he said this, making him wonder again what was wrong. But before he could ask anything, she hopped off of the piano and stood leaning against it once again.

"I did not assist him in the main productions," she said quietly.

"But you just said…?" Erik asked confused.

She raised her head slowly and her eyes looked into his. This made him feel a bit self conscious as usual, but Erik did not look away.

"I did not assist him. You see, it was _me_ who solely directed all the performances for the last three years."

"_Only_ _you?_" Erik asked incredulously. His mind was rapidly thinking of all the performances he read from critics on Monsieur Beaumont. They hailed him as a great director, being able to put together very complicated performances. Even composers competed to have him direct their creations as they knew he would make it a success.

But now, Erik suddenly realized with her words that no one knew it was actually her. For the last three years, she was Monsieur Beaumont.

"How is it that such a thing was kept so secret?" Erik asked, still taken aback from what he had just learned.

"I had a very dedicated company. They seemed to…want me to stay. While everyone else thought I only assisted my stepfather, the company followed only me. My stepfather had the free time he wanted, able to enjoy a somewhat early retirement much to his delight. The company seemed to go out of their way to keep it a secret as time went by. They knew if anyone were to find out, not only would it destroy Monsieur Beaumont's reputation as a director, but that I also may not be allowed to direct anymore. Although they still keep the secret today, there was one man who found out. For three years, the Company worked very hard at maintaining the façade."

She suddenly laughed again. "Do you know, that when they brought in guest opera singers, especially any famous diva, they would always arrange some grand excuse as to why my stepfather was not directing? I always 'filled in' because he was sick, or had some important engagement. He of course, would always make a point of visiting any such star wherever they were staying. My stepfather always made sure they knew he so greatly appreciated them and sincerely apologize for his absence. They always believed him and the rest of the company."

"Until someone did find out," Erik said. He had a pretty good idea who this was which was why Laurette was here.

"Yes, until someone found out." She placed her arms behind her back slowly walking over to the piano bench and than sat down.

"Monsieur Garier," said Erik flatly.

Laurette nodded.

"Yes, Monsieur Garier," she said sighing again and lightly ran her fingers across the keys in caressing way. "He was of course at the time working on plans for the restoration of this Opera House. He came to visit one day wanting to study some of the ornate details inside the theater, most likely to make sure the Opera Populair was one step better." She took her hand away from the keys and turned herself on the bench towards him.

"We knew he was there, but he was just like any other visitor to us. However, chance had it that he came upon a very damaging conversation. Monsieur Garier and a friend were looking around backstage when they passed by one of the dressing rooms. Unfortunately, the door was cracked open. Two members of the cast were discussing the details on how to explain Monsieur Beaumont's absence to a visiting singer. Their discussion gave away that my stepfather was outright lying to a well known diva."

Erik nodded knowing what she was going to say next.

"Upon hearing this, Monsieur Garier immediately went into the dressing room. Caught, the two cast members were helpless to deny what they had been discussing. Monsieur Garier demanded to see my stepfather. When he did, Monsieur Garier threatened to expose his deception to the particular visiting diva and the public. With his friend as a witness in overhearing the conversation, it was hard to dispute what had been said, especially as this friend was well known and held a great deal of respect.

But then my stepfather made another mistake as he assumed Monsieur Garier knew this had been happening for quite some time. He told the two of them that I was just as capable as he in all the productions these past years. It was then that Monsieur Garier demanded that my stepfather hand me over as the new director for the Opera Populair or he would tell everyone that a woman had been directing instead of him."

Laurette shook her head. "I could have refused of course. I had not even met the man and so it was obvious to me he cared little in regards to actually admiring my directing skills. I knew he wanted to use me for…publicity."

Erik heard her pause in saying this. She had to be thinking about what else Monsieur Garier wanted. "He put you in a position where it would have betrayed your stepfather," he said a low tone.

She looked at him with what he thought was almost a surprised look on her face, but then she quickly turned her head away from him looking at one of the mirrors on the wall. "Yes…that is…true." Laurette suddenly smiled almost shyly at him in the mirror. "However, I would be lying if I said it wasn't more than that. I could not possibly pass up the opportunity to direct the Opera Populair. To think that I had such a chance…I just could not refuse. I guess that makes me somewhat selfish, doesn't it?"

"Not at all. This is one of the most famous Opera Houses in the world, its history well known. Its revival would intrigue any director," he replied.

"Yes, well, it was the opportunity I had been waiting for. It was my dream," she said in an almost far away sounding voice.

Laurette's comment made him think of Christine again. His dream had been her. Since Erik was a child, he dreamed of her voice and someone who could save him from his solitude. An undiscovered talent, Erik had trained her voice to become that of the angel of his dreams. Now that dream was gone. Yet the monster underneath the mask still remained. Erik turned his head away from Laurette, now looking at himself in one of the mirrors.

"Erik?"

He realized Laurette noticed his sudden quietness, his lack of attention. Erik looked back up at her. "I am sorry, I was listening. I was just…thinking of how dreams can be real," he finished quietly, although he was only saying this for her. From his experience, there was no reality of dreams, only pain.

"Perhaps," Laurette said seeming uncertain.

"Why do you say that?" asked Erik. "Look how far your dream has come."

"And when will it end? How will it end? I am not sure what to do when that time comes," she said looking down again.

Erik knew exactly how she felt.

She sighed yet again and looked back up at him. "It is funny how you should enjoy dreams if they finally do come true. And yet it seems like most of us just cannot believe it is either real or we worry when it will be over. We should just live within the moment and appreciate it."

"Maybe those feelings make us continue to think of new dreams. One might not be able to live for just one dream," Erik said, though he felt like a hypocrite saying this to her. The only "dream" he had left within him was to finish his music and die peacefully. But could that be true if he was here with her now? Maybe it was just that he wanted to help someone else achieve a dream, unlike his that failed.

Laurette said nothing, her gaze falling onto the piano keys. The grandfather clock was chiming, bringing a light melody into the silence. It was already past midnight. She looked very tired.

"It is late," Erik said. "There is no rehearsal tomorrow…unless you have decided to make them work even on Sundays."

At this, she gave a slight smile. "Maybe I should," she said still looking at the keys.

"I am not sure you will continue such dedication from them if you do not give them at least one day off," Erik said. "And _you_ should take a day off too."

"And just what would I do?" Laurette asked looking at him.

Erik thought about this for a moment.

"Shop for a dress?"

He quickly moved aside before the pen she threw could hit him. For some odd reason this satisfied Erik that he had just made her do such a thing.

"Very funny," she said glaring at him. But then she couldn't help laughing.

"Well, maybe you could just read a book," Erik said thinking of the one night he saw her doing this.

She shook her head. "Reading just makes me more tired."

He was about to say "yes, I know" and then stopped himself. How would she feel if she knew he watched her sleep? _No, probably not a good idea to volunteer that_, Erik thought. Not that he had done anything wrong. Erik had still never ventured near her suite to observe anything. Even though he knew when he watched her unknowingly in the music room was still spying, he had still not crossed what he considered an even more private boundary.

"Well, I am sure you will think of something," he said. He stood up slowly and walked to the secret mirror. He was about to turn around and bid her good evening when she suddenly spoke.

"Do you know who the two cast members are from my stepfather's opera house that is now here?"

He looked at her in the mirror and then turned around. "The two cast members that Monsieur Garier overheard?" he asked.

"Yes."

He thought for a moment, trying to remember any of the cast in how they acted around her. "Well, it could not be Justine or Andre. Or at least I would hope not."

"No, I think not," she said smiling at him.

"And Julia is certainly too young and inexperienced to have been in a production before this one. Maurice appears to locally be well known. Wait…Dion must be one of them."

"Yes," she said clearly surprised. "How did you know?"

"Because while he is very quiet, Dion appeared to know your style very early on when you became the director. I watched him from the beginning giving you more assistance than the others. He seems almost…protective of you."

"And the other cast member?" she asked.

"Of that, I am not sure. I'm afraid you will have to tell me."

"Should I?"

"You brought up the conversation."

"Yes, but you were so quick with the first answer. Perhaps you need a new challenge in your observations. Why should I?" Laurette asked.

Oh good Lord she was arguing again! And of all things, she was arguing over this. He did strangely find it annoying and amusing at the same time. He sighed, shaking his head at her.

She was still smiling at him. "I am irritating you, yes?"

Now Erik realized she was actually teasing him. This was definitely not a side of her he had seen. Tonight was certainly a revelation for him.

"Yes, you seem to do that well," Erik replied.

Laurette smiled even more, not saying anything.

"Well?" he asked.

"Well, what?" she asked.

Amusing or not, Erik very suddenly had enough and feeling quite annoyed turned back around to the mirror to leave.

"Wait, I'm sorry," she said. "You are just so…serious sometimes."

_Me? Compared to how you act as a director?_

But why should her teasing suddenly anger him? Here he wanted to know who she was more personally and tonight she was letting him in. Then Erik realized his irritation was most likely due to his lack of social skills in conversation. He was taking her teasing personally. Although she made him feel quite capable in discussing music, Erik did not feel as confident in more personal exchanges such as this, especially these types of comments and how he should react. Why would he? Aside from Christine, he had rarely talked to anyone. He only had his observations of people in conversation, but not the ability to interact with anyone himself.

Erik lowered his head and sighed as now he most likely had made things awkward for her. He turned back around and faced her.

"No, I apologize. I truly did not intend to be so reactive. I am just not used to…" He wasn't sure how to finish this sentence as it would admit such a weakness that bothered him. She raised her hand up bidding him to stop, shaking her head and looking away. But he had made her feel uncomfortable, just when they were getting relaxed with each other.

"Armond."

"What?"

"It was Armond. He was the other cast member," she said now looking at him once again.

At least she had continued the conversation. If she had felt that badly, she would have just bid him good night. He put forth a new effort. "I would not have guessed Armond, although when I think of it, he does seem to talk quite a bit," Erik said.

Laurette smiled again, making him feel more at ease. "Yes. But in a way, if it were not for them, maybe I would not be here today."

"That is true. Did your stepfather force them to leave after the incident" asked Erik, placing his hands behind his back.

"Actually, no. Both of them felt so badly for what had happened that they decided to make sure and stay with me. They gave up very good roles in their career to come here and join such an inexperienced cast," Laurette said. "And I do admit, although no one else knew, seeing two familiar faces did help me. They were the silent leaders in the background, even encouraging Justine to follow me. They were instrumental in bringing him around and helping him with his confidence."

"You should give yourself more credit for Justine. I strongly think that it was you alone who brought out such talent." He saw Laurette blush slightly as his compliment. Feeling like the earlier situation had been smoothed over, Erik glanced at the clock.

"You really should get some sleep," he said.

"Me or you?" she asked smiling. This time Erik took her words and tone much more lightly.

"Definitely me. I need tomorrow for a full day of recovery from trying to keep up with you."

Erik was satisfied when Laurette laughed lightly at this. When she stood, he bowed his head and said good night. He was waiting politely for her to leave the room first as usual, but she remained standing.

"It is alright for you to leave. I am going to stay here for a while," she said looking at the piano and then back at him.

"As you wish," Erik replied. He turned and tapped the mirror walking through to the secret passageway, glancing back as she sat down at the piano. Erik shook his head.

He returned later that night to once again place the throw over her as she slept on the chaise.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As time drew closer to the production, Erik could feel the intense nervousness of the cast. Laurette was trying patiently to work with each of them, yet it was doing little to ease their apprehension. Such a complex opera was difficult for even the most experienced cast. And now, even as they practiced continuously with all their heart and soul, the company was beginning to stumble. For the first time, they were beginning to show a lack of confidence. Despite their inexperience, Laurette had instilled such confidence in all of them before the first production. But now, even with her deepest efforts, they were feeling unsure of themselves, overwhelmed by the complexity of the story and songs.

"Concentrate," Laurette said firmly to Justine who had just lost his footing on a staircase during one of his entrances one day. She was continually making remarks such as this to Justine, who normally was one to not even be reminded. The rest of the cast was not faring any better. Andre was continually having trouble with some of the lyrics, Maurice was forgetting his designated spots on stage, and Julia showed little signs of progress in her vocal range.

Erik was as frustrated as Laurette at times during their evenings they worked together. Their tone with each other had changed from light hearted exchanges to serious concentration on making improvements. Still, Erik felt a deeper connection with her in respect to their collaboration. Even her arguments he began to appreciate as Laurette constantly challenged him to think of even more creative ideas that seemed to help the cast.

He thought of nothing else but the production day and night. In fact, he often had to force himself to stop with his thoughts to eat or sleep. He paid little attention to what seemed so important to him before. His music lay untouched on the desk near his piano. Occasionally he would glance at it, but now he had no desire to continue with his composing efforts. Instead, Erik placed his entire mind into the production at hand with Laurette.

It was this lack of attention to his surroundings in which Erik discovered his carelessness. As he descended the stairs one evening, Erik's mind was on a scene in the production in which the character Masinello had his followers turning against him. The scene was proving difficult even though Laurette was working carefully to stage so many cast members. They were literally stepping on each other as they rehearsed. Erik was thinking that perhaps there was a way to bring them in from different entrances in a more unified way.

_Or maybe we should try and reduce the number of the followers, _Erik thought. _But then the chorus wouldn't sound as full, something really needed for this scene. Maybe I should suggest to Laurette that we try – damnit!_

Erik stopped suddenly on the stairs of catacombs as he saw two eyes looking right at him and then slowly turning as a rope from around a man's neck swayed. Someone had stumbled onto one of Erik's traps. He was at first quite worried that it was someone from the Company, but then recognized it was the short, fat bald man Erik saw with Monsieur Garier on Opening Night. Angry at himself for letting his guard down, Erik took out a knife and cut the rope. The body fell heavily to the ground, the man's lifeless arms flopping over his chest and head.

Why had the man come down here? Erik wasn't even aware there was such a visitor in the Opera House. Rehearsals were closed to anyone outside during the day and if Monsieur Garier or any of his staff were to visit, they usually knew well in advance.

Erik grimaced as the thought came to him that this man would be surely missed with the fact that he knew Monsieur Garrier and was in the Opera House. He realized this was not someone he could easily throw in the lake down below to float downstream appearing as if some stranger had robbed and murdered the man. If Monsieur Garier had sent the man to the Opera House for some reason, Erik did not want to take the risk that anyone in the Company would be suspected of such a thing.

He sighed heavily and bent down to remove the lasso from the man's neck. His eyes still open, the man stared at Erik. The red mark on his neck was faint and hidden mostly by the folds of the man's fat on his neck. Erik's hand felt his neck and realized with luck that it was not broken. When the trap was triggered and the rope captured the man, the floor underneath him did not completely fall away as planned. Yet it fell enough to tighten around his neck as he dangled having him barely touching the ground due to his height. As a result, the man suffocated rather then falling so suddenly which would have broken the neck.

Erik stood up slowly contemplating what he should do. The man was so fat, anyone could easily come to the conclusion that he died of an apparent heart attack. But the thought of Laurette hearing, or even worse, discovering the body in the Opera House was by far not a comforting thought. It would most likely scare the wits out of her and she needed her full mind on this production.

Irritated, Erik realized he would have to place the man somewhere outside the Opera House. Not a place too obvious, as one would wonder why they didn't see him the previous day. Erik suddenly gave a slight smile as he thought of the perfect place. Then he reached down, grabbed the man's arms, and began to drag him back to the upper level of the Opera House.

The following day, Erik went about his now normal routine, which spent the majority of his time watching the rehearsal and writing down his thoughts for improvements as he watched the cast struggle. Sometimes he would work on the music, adapting and changing it as needed. This usually helped Laurette a great deal as she was beginning to feel fairly tired in the evenings now, too exhausted to sit and create new sections of music.

In fact, Erik once again saw the lack of sleep and stress from her hard work weighing heavily on her now. As the days had passed, Laurette even was beginning to argue less with him as he presented her ideas. This began to actually worry Erik about her health – all the success in the world would not matter if she fell too ill to direct. Although he felt this was more of a selfish thought then any feelings for her. Erik simply did not want any other director to replace Laurette so he could continue with his input on the productions.

He kept his thoughts about her health to himself however, as he found it difficult to bring up the subject of her getting more rest. Their last real personal conversation was when she volunteered her past experience and secrets of Monsieur Beaumont. Since then, they talked little in regards to anything else other then the production. With such limited time, there was no room for any other conversation.

Erik listened more intensely this day to the conversation of the cast members. He expected that eventually something would be said about the man he found down below. But the day wore on with no such remarks and he wondered if anyone had even noticed the man.

As rehearsal ended, Erik made his usual walk back to the Music room to wait for Laurette. When she did finally appear, Erik stepped into the room. She was usually already deep in concentration looking at music or the layout of a scene as she walked over to the piano. Yet she usually looked up and greeted him with a smile.

Today however, Erik had just entered the room when he and Laurette heard a voice outside the Music Room, then a knock at the door. This had never happened before and it startled Laurette as she jumped and turned away from Erik. Before the door could even open, Erik quickly retreated behind the secret mirror. Laurette, looking back at the spot where Erik had been standing, seemed a bit incredulous but relieved at his sudden disappearance.

"Come _on_," muttered Maurice as he pulled his brother inside the room. It was obvious Philippe did not want to be here as he was barely walking. "I do apologize for the intrusion, Madame," said Maurice shoving his brother in front of him once more. "But I know we must speak with you about the final scene. Or rather, I need to speak for Philippe. I know he needs to discuss this with you as he has been quite obsessed lately in his efforts to create the set for the finale."

"I have little doubt that Philippe will come up with something most amazing as he always does," said Laurette, smiling slightly.

"Yes, well…," Maurice hesitated looking at his brother then back at her. "As you know, the final scene is quite a challenge. Why in the world a composer would write that Elvira throws herself into a volcano…he could have selected a much easier death for the stage."

Laurette gave a slight laugh. "Yes, I suppose it would have to be something challenging for us. The entire production is complex. It would not do without such an overdone ending, would it?" asked Laurette now smiling at Philippe.

"Well," said Maurice, "I think Philippe has come up with something that would be quite spectacular."

"Really?" asked Laurette clearly interested. This definitely caught Erik's attention as well. Although he usually felt singing was far more important then any stage set, such a thing could only help the production at this point.

Rather then Maurice grabbing the portfolio binder from Phillipe's hand as usual, this time Philippe stepped forward and held it out willingly to Laurette even though he still could not look at her. Laurette accepted the book graciously and then opened it to study Phillipe's sketches. She must have been impressed by what she saw as her eyes widened and she looked up at Philippe.

"There is a list of things we would need to make it work," said Maurice. "Philippe has written them down as you can see."

"Yes," said Laurette slowly looking back at the book.

"I know…well, I know it would cost a bit of money for such things," said Maurice more reluctantly as he watched Laurette looking at the list with a now serious face.

"More then a _bit_ of money," Laurette replied quietly. Erik grew slightly tense at her words. He knew she would have to ask Monsieur Garier.

"Do you believe it would be possible?" asked Maurice looking at Laurette intensely.

Laurette closed the book and walked back slowly over to the piano. "I do not know," she said looking up at Maurice.

With these words, Philippe looked up at his brother sharply. He glanced at Laurette, a disappointed look upon his face.

"Will you at least consider it?" asked Maurice looking down at his brother with what looked like almost pity now. "He thinks of nothing else."

These words definitely meant something to Laurette as she looked at Philippe. Erik felt the same. How could she deny such an obsession of Philippe when she and Erik thought of nothing else but the production which was their obsession?

Laurette placed the book on the piano. She then put her hands behind her back and walked slowly in front of Philippe. This of course unnerved him even more and he tried to take a step back, but Maurice held him firmly in place.

"Philippe," Laurette said in a soft tone that Erik had not heard before, "I need for you to look at me."

Philippe was now glancing wildly about him. Such a request seems to almost place him over the edge.

"Please," asked Laurette looking at him. Erik thought she seemed suddenly quite serious and sad at the same time. Her voice was almost pleading.

Philippe must have noticed this pleading tone as well. He stopped glancing around, his gaze falling firmly to the floor. Then, after a few moments, Philippe ever so slowly raised his eyes. His head still bowed, Phillipe's gaze met hers. Seeing that she had succeeded in her request, Laurette gave the hint of a slight smile.

"Will this truly make a difference in the production? Is it truly worth something that will add to the story and impact the audience," she asked.

Philippe stared at her for a few moments then looked back at the floor. He then looked at her once again, this time raising his head with his eyes. He very slowly nodded, then lowered his head once more.

"I will see what I can do," Laurette said.

Erik knew she had decided at that moment it was worth to ask Monsieur Garier for such a thing. But he was still concerned. The last encounter she had with Monsieur Garier when Laurette asked for what she wanted left a mark upon her face. What would a request such as this do?

Maurice bowed his head politely and then pushed his brother out of the room with him, though this time Erik noticed he was doing this now more gently, most likely impressed with Philippe for having the courage to answer Laurette.

Erik stepped quietly back into the room once more when Maurice and Philippe had left. Laurette did not look at him, but took the book from on top of the piano and handed it to Erik wordlessly. He opened the book to see quite a few sketches and diagrams for a very large set complete with a very realistic volcano. Phillipe's diagrams indicated various light, smoke, and even lava that would be created for the scene. It was indeed impressive and something most likely that no one had ever seen on stage before.

Laurette walked quietly back to the piano and sat down.

"Do you think that Monsieur Garier will provide the items Philippe needs?" asked Erik with concern. He was still thinking of Laurette's last encounter with him.

"We will see," said Laurette quietly. She finally looked up at Erik giving a faint smile and then returned her gaze to the piano keys. "Why don't we get started and review today's rehearsal?"

Rather then sitting in one of the chairs, for the first time, it was Erik who approached and sat down next to her at the piano, a gesture he felt demonstrated his support for Laurette. He vowed right then that while he respected her wishes to continue directing, as he wanted it as well, Erik would not permit Monsieur Garier to harm her again, no matter what the cost.

He looked down at her and for a moment Laurette looked back up at him, both silently thinking of the situation. Then Laurette picked up the music sheets in front of her and began to review the rehearsal with him.

The following day Erik still felt agitated with the notion that Laurette was going to meet with Monsieur Garier, especially to ask him for anything. He did not know when the visit would happen, but was sure Laurette or the cast would be talking about it soon enough. They usually did whenever they prepared themselves for his presence.

Erik struggled through the day somewhat, for the first time his thoughts not completely on the production. Why he could not concentrate and was letting Monsieur Garier's imminent visit bother him, he did not know. He thought perhaps it was because he felt so helpless in the situation. While he vowed not to let him physically harm Laurette again, any action on Erik's part would doom her position as a director. It was still the right thing to do anyway of course, not to mention the satisfaction Erik would take in actually killing Monsieur Garier.

He was even going so far as to imagine how he would do such a thing, debating on a rope around the neck or maybe just stabbing him. Erik actually wanted to see Monsieur Garier's reaction to whatever method he chose and looked forward to basking in the delight of the shock and pain when death would take the man. Laurette's reaction would certainly not be something to look forward to, but Erik did not care. She could hate him and never speak to him again, but that still would not change Erik's mind about this decision.

Then a thought crept in him. What if Monsieur Garier was not alone that day? What if the other man Edouard was with him? He would most likely have to kill him too. But then how would Laurette not be blamed for their deaths? Surely no one would think a woman as small as she could carry out such a thing, he reasoned.

But what if there was the thought that the Opera Ghost did this and they came down after him? Erik planned carefully that he would quickly make his way down below after the killings. If he heard any such discussion to find him, Erik would carry out his own plan for death as he would choose. He would hide himself away in a secret place below where he knew no one would find his body once dead. Still, Erik was saddened that he would not be able to finish his music or see this production through to the end if all this were the case. But he also knew what he had to do.

Laurette would be alright. Now that Erik knew her secret with Monsieur Beaumont, surely he would accept her back into his opera house again. She would still have a home and possibly even be able to continue with directing quietly with Monsieur Garier out of the picture.

Erik's attention turned back to Laurette now onstage who seemed to be saying something to Gautier. Laurette walked offstage, but in the opposite direction from the Music Room. Gautier continued rehearsal as planned for the next hour.

_Perhaps she just needed a break_, thought Erik. Still, this was unusual for her. It was most likely that she returned to her suite to make the call to Monsieur Garier to visit sometime this week.

He finished jotting down a few more notes with their final practice of the scene between the characters of Masaniello and Peitro. But looking at his notes for the day, Erik realized he really had not made as much effort as usual. Laurette may be disappointed in what little he thought of today.

Laurette…Erik suddenly realized he constantly was thinking of her. She had taken up his world with the production and her situation with Monsieur Garier. He had given up his private life entirely for her. Erik had not touched his music, the one thing he wanted to complete before he died. Even if things were to work out, would he ever compose again? He thought of nothing but how to please Laurette it seemed.

Who was the last woman who had done this to him? Certainly, he did not love Laurette like Christine, but it suddenly angered him that he had gone so far in all of this. Like Christine, Laurette was controlling him. But this time, he was not in love. No, Erik could still remain in control of the situation. And now his decision was that he _would_ stay in control. How could he even be thinking such a thing that his life was worth not seeing a slap in the face to Laurette? This of course, was her choice to even be here. It was her dream.

But the thought in bringing her dream to reality made Erik's heart sink once more. He once again felt the deep pain of his own dream not becoming real. How Christine had saved yet betrayed him. Laurette so badly wanted this dream and Erik could not deny the pity he felt for her.

Erik gave a deep sigh, tired suddenly of his mind going in such circles. He still had time to think until Monsieur Garier's visit. He realized the best course of action was to take his time in such a decision. But he was still angered that in a way Laurette was torturing him. Even if he did not love her, Erik did not want to ever be so taken with a woman again. It would have to be different this time, or else he would have to abandon her all together for his own sake.

Rehearsal done for the day, Erik made his way back to the Music Room. He looked through the mirror but saw that Laurette had not yet arrived. He waited with more minutes passing by, then a half hour. Where was she?

He was about to give up and leave when he heard a man's voice. Then he suddenly saw Laurette enter the room and was taken somewhat aback by her appearance. She was wearing a rather bright, yellow dress complete with elaborate bustle and train that flowed behind her. The sleeves of the dress were on her shoulders, but the neckline was fairly low. Around her neck she wore a glittering necklace with what appeared to be an emerald pendant. Laurette's hair was pinned tightly up, ringlets of curls falling from the sides in a style common of women he observed. She looked nothing like herself. If anything, this dress did not enhance her beauty at all and made her look rather like a very fake upper class woman.

Erik was just thinking if he should enter the room when Monsieur Garier suddenly appeared in the doorway alone. He was, as always, fully dressed in his fine suit complete with top hat. Monsieur Garier was removing his hat, dress gloves, and coat as he walked towards Laurette. Throwing the gloves and coat on a chair, he stood with hands folded in front of him and Laurette turned to face him.

Erik was so shocked by this sudden visit from Monsieur Garier that he wasn't sure what to do. He looked at Laurette who was so obviously trying to please Monsieur Garier today with what she wore. She looked nervous and Erik saw her hands even slightly tremble as she reached out to hold Phillipe's book out to Monsieur Garier.

"And just exactly what is this?" asked Monsieur Garier looking at the book though it were beneath him to touch such a thing.

"It has the sketches of the set I mentioned to Edouard," Laurette said looking at him still nervously.

Monsieur Garier scoffed but took the book harshly from her. He flipped through the pages rather roughly, making Erik wonder if he was going to tear the fine sheets of paper. "And what is this list? Surely this is not the materials you need?"

"Yes," answered Laurette quietly.

"Do you realize how much these items will cost?"

"Yes," answered Laurette again, looking at the floor as usual.

"These sketches…who created them? Wait, it is that mouse of a man, Maurice?"

"Philippe," corrected Laurette.

"And you expect me to trust such an expensive task to him? A dumb mute? No doubt he came from an institution and of course easily swayed you to take pity on him. Do you really think such a man is even worthy to work on such a production as this?" asked Monsieur Garrier in a low tone.

"You seemed to truly admire the last production sets he created. As I recall, the audience talked vividly about the sets at the ball, praising you for selecting such talent," Laurette said, now looking at him boldly.

Monsieur Garrier glared at her and Laurette quickly lowered her eyes to the floor. Much to the irritation of Erik, he then began to walk behind Laurette. She raised her eyes again as he was directly behind her, appearing extremely conscious of this. Erik thought she was most likely thinking of the earlier time when Monsieur Garrier had made advances towards her, kissing her when he had been behind her such as this. There was still no one else in the room.

"I see. I of course did not realize that such a worthless mute did those previous sets. I would have never allowed it of course. Nor would I have allowed you to even hire him if I had known," said Monsieur Garier.

Then Erik grew tense as he watched Monsieur Garrier take his right hand and place it upon the back of Laurette's neck, caressing it as he then walked around in front of her. His hand moved around her neck to her chin. Laurette's eyes had again turned to the floor. Monsieur Garier lifted her chin and bent his head ever so close in front of her.

"And what, may I ask, do I get in return?" he asked looking at her intently. Erik was glaring at him from behind the mirror now, his jaw tightened.

Laurette slowly raised her eyes to Monsieur Garier. Erik observed that she appeared almost frightened, but she looked directly into his eyes.

"What would you have me do, Monsieur?" she asked softly.

"Would you provide anything of my choosing?" Monsieur Garier asked, his eyes roaming to the low neckline of her dress.

"Yes," she whispered to Erik's dismay.

A slow triumphant smile appeared on Monsieur Garrier's face. His index finger on her chin now traced along her cheek, and then brushed against her lips while Laurette's eyes looked down again. Erik thought for sure Monsieur Garier was going to forcefully kiss Laurette in this moment, but he instead straightened back up still smiling. Erik then realized that Edouard was now in the doorway of the room.

"Come, we are leaving," said Monsieur Garier walking over to retrieve his coat and gloves from the chair.

Laurette turned and looked at him as he walked away, a worried look upon her face. "And the items for the set?" she asked.

He stopped short in front of Edouard who was now looking at her. "You will have them tomorrow," Monsieur Garier said without turning around. "And I will call upon you at a later time," he added. And then both men walked out of the room closing the door behind them.

Erik realized his hands were hurting as a result of his fists being clenched. He looked down, his jaw still tightened. In a way he wished Monsieur Garier had struck Laurette again as Erik would have most likely reacted without thinking and killed him. He truly hated Monsieur Garier even without his concern for Laurette. The man had no interest in anything other then himself.

Erik looked back at Laurette as he realized she was still standing in the same spot. She had not moved and was looking down at the floor again. He took a breath and then stepped through the mirror. Erik saw her glance up at one of the mirrors opposite from her and saw him. But she did not turn around and her gaze fell to the floor once more.

He wasn't quite sure what to say. It was almost an awkward situation as this time she knew Erik had witnessed Monsieur Garier's advances and her agreeing to give him anything he wanted. Erik was certain Laurette was most likely feeling ashamed or embarrassed for giving into such a request for the production.

"You should not let him treat you with such disrespect," Erik finally said quietly.

"I am sure it will not be the first or the last time in my career as a director that I will encounter such a thing," Laurette replied flatly.

Erik hesitated, but he decided to say what was on his mind and was sure Laurette was thinking something similar. "That does not mean you have to give into him," Erik said in a low voice. He was actually feeling slightly angry at her. He knew she loved to direct, but she was also letting herself be…used. Laurette was letting Monsieur Garier win, not even fighting at this point.

Laurette slowly turned around and raised her head to look up at him. For the first time, Erik saw her looking truly angry at him, her eyes now narrowing. "And just what, may I ask, would you have me do? I am living in a man's world." Laurette then gave a small laugh. "No…I am _bound_ by a man's world," she said to Erik in a low, quiet voice. She smiled bitterly now at him.

Erik knew she was right and his anger subsided into feeling sorry he had not sympathized with her. But the thought of her doing whatever Monsieur Garier wanted still bothered him more then he would like to admit. Even with his lack of experience at the world or with women, Erik knew full well how Monsieur Garier would use Laurette, physically and mentally for his own pleasure at his convenience. Erik turned his head away from her.

"I am…sorry," Laurette said hesitating. "I am just tired."

Erik turned back to look at her. Laurette's face was sad now and he thought he saw tears welling up in her eyes. But she turned away from him before he could say anything.

"I do not wish to discuss the rehearsal today," she said, not looking at him in any of the mirrors.

She began to walk towards the door before he could think of anything else to say. But then she stopped at the door and glanced up at him in one of the mirrors. "You will come back tomorrow evening?"

Erik nodded slowly, still feeling overcome with emotion regarding the situation. He wanted to see Laurette again, but he also knew he was angry that now Monsieur Garier would actually be claiming her for his own. It was hard to be with her and not feel this way. Erik realized that not only did _he_ not like to be controlled, but he did not like watching someone else in the same situation.

She stood there for a moment. Then Laurette opened the door quietly and left, her elaborate dress falling gracefully behind her.

Erik walked over to the piano. He was tired of thinking, tired of the feelings that were once again coming to life after so long. For the last few years he had escaped such feelings except for the memories of Christine. Avoiding all interaction with anyone had saved him from further sadness. Now, what was once an intriguing feeling of being wanted was turning into nothing but bitterness as he watched Laurette being taken advantage of and used. Christine had used him to train her voice and left him. Now Monsieur Garier would use Laurette for his pleasure, most likely to still betray her and eventually take the director role from her anyway.

Erik sat down at the piano looking at the keys. He thought for a moment, and then he began to play the song he heard Laurette so many times play late at night when he was not in the room. He played it perfectly, his memory and skill in listening to the notes evident and it relaxed him somewhat. Erik focused on nothing else in his head except this song, and played late into the evening.

The next morning Erik awoke realizing that he actually slept late. He most likely did not go to bed until sometime in the early morning hours. This was a first for him as he normally got up very early. He heard music up above and realized that rehearsal was already underway.

By the time he finally made it to box number 5, the Company was already nearing the first break of the morning. Erik saw Laurette giving instructions to Gautier, wanting to get in one more practice of a scene before releasing the cast. He was actually glad to see her in a rather plain dress with her hair down. She looked so much more like herself unlike last night for Monsieur Garier. And she looked so much more at ease this way.

Erik jotted down a few notes while they practiced the scene. Then when the cast had their early morning break, he worked on some of the music for the final scene. He was just thinking of a few areas to change when he suddenly heard sobbing.

It was Julia. She was crying uncontrollably and Justine was trying to calm her down on the stage. The other cast members were beginning to emerge moving towards her. Laurette also appeared and when she realized that something was wrong, she moved quickly over to Julia.

"What is it? What is wrong," Laurette asked.

"T-here…I-I was taking a b-break." She started sobbing again.

"Slow, deep breaths Julia," said Justine still holding her.

"Tell me," said Laurette.

"I-I was t-taking a walk outside. There is a m-man, a m-man.. I was just taking a walk!"

_Damn,_ thought Erik. He knew at once Julia had discovered the dead fat man. He thought for sure where he had placed the body it would be discovered by someone else.

"Julia, what man?" asked Laurette.

"I-I don't know who he is. He…I think h-he's dead!" And then Julia broke down once more.

Laurette looked a bit shocked at this news, but before she could say anything, Armond and Dion had abruptly pushed their way among the cast to Laurette and Julia.

"Julia, where is the man?" asked Dion.

"Sitting outside t-the stable of the Opera House. He…I thought h-he was maybe asleep…he did not look well. And– and when I touched him to see if he was alright, he just _slumped over_," Julia finished in a crying voice.

"Let's go," said Armond to Dion. And the two of them quickly disappeared offstage.

Erik's heart sank. He did not mean to upset Julia. And Laurette had found out anyway. He thought placing the man outside the stable as he most likely dropped off his horse made it look like he sat down to take a break when he had a heart attack. Erik was certain one of the stable handlers would have noticed him. But apparently they had only given him a glance and ignored him as they thought he was just asleep.

_What a friendly world_, thought Erik. Julia was the only one who had thought to even ask if the man was alright. A thought came to him that he was glad not to be part of such life. On the other hand it verified that no one would ever accept him and what lay beneath his mask. But who was he to criticize when he was the one who killed the man? But try as he might with this thought, Erik just did not feel remorse for what had happened to the man. He was protecting his home and the Opera Ghost legend was well known to anyone who ventured below.

"All right," said Laurette. "Justine, please take Julia to one of the dressing rooms for a while. We will continue with practicing other scenes for the moment. Please, let's get back to rehearsal," said Laurette to the cast. They talked among themselves but did as she bid.

When Dion and Armond returned, Erik overheard them quietly telling Laurette the man seemed to have died of natural causes, especially for someone so overweight. The local morgue had come by and taken the man. They had also come to the conclusion that he died most likely of a heart attack. Laurette seemed to take the news much better with this information, most likely satisfied that the man had not been found murdered, or so she thought.

But there were still no answer as to why the man had ventured down below. Erik had thought Monsieur Garier would have visited and said something to allude to the man's whereabouts. But there was still nothing.

That evening Erik returned to the Music Room and found Laurette waiting for him. She said nothing of the evening before or the dead man, and conversed with him strictly regarding the production. Likewise, the week carried on well with Erik and Laurette worked at a feverish pace to finish up the production.

Although there were certainly a few areas that still needed work that would be identified by a professional critic, the cast was now doing much better. Julia had seemed to recover from her shock of finding the dead man and was singing well. Andre was now very much at ease with Felicite onstage. Erik even noticed the two of them in more conversation during breaks. Justine would also join in sometimes making all of them laugh with his comments. Apparently time spent together outside the Company had helped them to form a bond which Laurette must have known would happen.

Justine himself was now showing the confidence, and arrogance, as with the first production. While he continued to make sometimes annoying comments and still teased quite a few of the cast, Erik was satisfied that Justine would once again carry them through this Opera. It was clear that Justine was growing in his talent with every rehearsal, his voice becoming even more superb in shape and texture. Laurette continued to work with him privately whenever she could and it was paying off well.

Before they knew it, the day had arrived for the premier. Laurette had run one more dress rehearsal in the afternoon. Although she usually did not like to practice on the day of the first show, even she knew it was necessary to do what they could until the last moment.

After the dress rehearsal, Erik went to the Music Room to talk with Laurette. She was pacing the room and he knew she was quite worried. "It will be alright," said Erik stepping inside the room.

Laurette glanced at him but continued to pace playing with the ends of her curls.

"They will do fine. The rehearsal went well," Erik continued.

"It went well. Not flawless, but well," Laurette said in a disappointed voice.

"They will get better the more they perform this production. Surely you know that. Was not our goal to get them through to perform such a complicated opera at all? Look how far they have come," said Erik

"Yes, I know," Laurette said sighing. "But I also know the critics will be watching. I could only wish they would come to later performances." She had finally stopped pacing at this point and Erik walked over by the piano.

"You should trust this Company. They certainly trust you," he said.

"I am not sure that makes me feel any better, especially if it fails," Laurette said. But then she smiled as she new he meant it as a compliment. Laurette shook her head.

"We just need to make it past this Opening Night. I know it will continue to improve after this," she said looking at him.

Erik glanced away as her eyes met his. It felt like once again she was suddenly letting those eyes look through him. He tried to think of something else to say and then realized with the clock chiming that it was already nearing performance time. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?" asked Erik..

"The entourage will be here shortly, I assure you," she said rolling her eyes and turning away.

Erik smiled slightly at her comment.

"And then of course there is the ball afterwards. I would much rather a quiet evening here at the piano then with so many people. Especially whatever the outcome of the performance," Laurette said.

Erik nodded. He knew he would not see her after the performance as she would have to attend this social event. Monsieur Garier would be seeing to that. Erik was certain he would make Laurette meet all of those deemed as the most prominent of upper society. But then he suddenly realized that Monsieur Garier had not called upon Laurette as he said. In fact, Monsieur Garier had not even visited since the evening she had requested the items needed for the set. Had he called her? Would she have to be Monsieur Garier's companion this evening? Erik cringed at this thought.

"The ball will be here at least. But I assumed you knew that," said Laurette now turning around and walking. He noticed she was beginning to pace slightly again.

"Yes, I have heard the workers in the last week. They were putting the finishing touches on the renovation of the ballroom. I would have thought Monsieur Garier would have used the room after the first debut," Erik said.

"That would not draw out the introduction of the Opera House long enough. He makes sure to stage such events in slow time for more recognition," said Laurette still slightly pacing.

"Yes, he certainly knows how to create publicity," said Erik. _Including having the director become involved in a relationship with him_, thought Erik. That would certainly get people to talk. He felt depressed at this thought.

"Would you…," Laurette paused in what she was saying looking at the floor. Then she looked back up at him with almost what looked like courage. "Would you stop by my suite right before I need to join the Company?"

Erik was completely surprised by this. She had certainly never invited him to her suite nor did he ever expect her to.

"It is just that, well, I admit that I am so nervous. It would just make me feel better if I saw you. After all, you have helped so much in the production. And you certainly seem to feel the confidence that I need," Laurette said.

Did he? Erik was not completely sure of this. Was he confident in what he said to Laurette about this company? _Yes, this is a good Company. They have natural talent although she is really the one that gave them confidence_, he thought.

"Of course you do not have to," said Laurette when Erik did not respond.

"No…I mean, yes, I can stop by," Erik said still hesitant at the thought. He suddenly heard a group of female voices.

"You better go," Laurette said.

Erik disappeared quickly behind the mirror, watching as Monsieur Garier's servants entered the room. Chattering, they scolded Laurette for not being in her room waiting for them. Laurette said nothing, though Erik could tell she was trying to hold back her temper with them. She walked out with the servants quickly following her.

Now that he had agreed to see Laurette in her suite, Erik decided to walk among the upper catwalks to watch the cast. He needed s_omething_ to do while she got ready. He made his way to the theater and climbed up high to the planks above the stage. Looking down, he saw a repeat of what he observed on the night of their first debut. Only this time, the cast was even more nervous. Erik was certain most of them would be exhausted before the show even started with their frantic pacing and conversations.

"I hope I don't forget that one damn spot," said Maurice.

"You will be fine," replied Armond..

"What if the set doesn't work properly?" asked Andre.

"It will work fine," replied Dion.

"What if I get so nervous I forget the words?" asked Julia walking up to them.

"It will be _FINE,_" said Armond and Dion to her in unison.

Erik shook his head and walked a little further.

"And so I heard that Monsieur Garier will be taking her to the ball tonight," said Nicole with a group of other chorus girls around her.

_The one time I finally hear something of worth from these women and I miss_ _it_, Erik thought stopping in his tracks. He listened closer.

"I heard he had her dress made just for this occasion," said Chantel.

"Yes, he would spend any amount of money on her. He knows how to use her for the publicity," said Olivie.

Hearing this, Erik felt bitter once again at Monsieur Garier's using Laurette. The publicity comment from Olivie confirmed he was taking Laurette to the ball. He sighed and decided to start making his way to Laurette's suite.

As he took the back corridors, Erik realized she may still be getting ready. He did not want to look in through her suite mirror at the wrong moment so he decided to loom in the shadows of the staircase not too far from her room. It wasn't long before he heard the chatter of voices coming down the stairs and saw that they were indeed Monsieur Garier's servants.

He walked quickly down the secret back corridor and up the stairs to Laurette's suite. It had been so long since he had been in this area of the Opera House. Erik stopped short before he got to the mirror. Hesitant, he finally peered through it glancing quickly around. He did not see Laurette. However, there was a changing partition near the opposite wall and he came to the conclusion that if she was still getting dressed for any reason, this is what she would be behind.

He quietly stepped into the room still looking around to make sure he did not suddenly scare Laurette. She most likely didn't know about the secret mirror and may have been thinking he would enter from the door of her suite somehow.

"Laurette?" he called quietly.

"Erik?" He heard her voice come from behind the dressing wall.

"Yes, it is just me," he said. He waited for a few moments but she did not come out. Nor did she say anything else.

_Surely she must be dressed by now_.

"Well?" he said finally, "Are you coming out or are you going to miss your own production?"

"I am thinking about it," she replied from behind the wall.

Erik let out a slight laugh under his breath. He knew she was referring to the dress made for her. "Oh come now," he said as he suddenly saw the book she had been reading on her dressing table, "it cannot be _that_ bad."

Or at least, he hoped it would not be. Erik wasn't quite so sure about Monsieur Garier's taste in things, only to make sure they were seen. He tilted his head looking at the book on the table to see if he could read the title, but it was again face down. He was just about to pick it up when he heard her footsteps. Erik turned and saw Laurette coming out from behind the dressing wall.

The dress she wore was certainly made for her. Unlike some of the other dresses that Bernadette had purchased, this dress fit her perfectly. Well, actually, too perfectly was Erik's thought. Although he was certainly conscious of Laurette being the only other woman to any extent that he had talked with other then Christine, Erik really hadn't paid that much attention to her features other then her eyes and hair. And this dress certainly brought out those other features.

It was a deep red color which was very flattering on Laurette with her dark hair and fair skin. The dress showed off her petite waist and elegantly cascaded into a full skirt. The sleeves were off the shoulder with a fairly low neckline though respectful with only a slight amount of cleavage shown. But to Erik, this was completely new. He had never seen or noticed her physical figure with the fairly plain dresses she usually wore. And any of the gowns Bernadette had purchased were lavishly overdone hardly making Laurette herself noticeable. Instead, this gown only enhanced her beauty.

He suddenly realized how he must have been staring at Laurette as she stopped walking while looking at him. "What?" she asked, her eyes widening with concern that something must be wrong with what she looked like.

Erik immediately looked away. "Nothing, you…," he paused and then took a breath to look at her again. "You look very beautiful." As soon as he finished saying this, Erik looked away again. This was not something he had planned on saying, though he meant it. In fact, Erik was suddenly _very_ aware of how beautiful she looked. It was something that completely had taken him aback. He found himself for some reason hesitant to look at her, as if it was wrong.

Laurette turned slightly looking at a smaller mirror over a table and walked over to it. The back of the dress had an elegant bustle with a sweeping train that followed her across the floor.

"But it isn't _really_ me, is it?" she asked, studying herself in the mirror.

Erik knew what she meant. Each time he saw her elaborately dressed she did not look like herself. His eyes looked back up at her. Her hair was once again worn up, though this time it looked like only a few decorative pins held all her hair in place. He thought for a moment and then walked up behind her.

Erik took the pins in her hair and adjusted them, letting the back of her hair fall down, the curls at the ends tumbling below her shoulders. Laurette had been looking down at the moment Erik came up behind her and was obviously startled when he did this as she suddenly looked up. But he continued. Satisfied that he had the pins back in place for the remaining hair that was still up, he tilted his head down next to hers as he stood behind her.

"Better?" He looked at her and then realized she was looking at him in the mirror. He turned his eyes to the mirror which met hers for a moment, and then he looked back down at her. "_I_ think so," he said when she didn't respond. He now realized he was as close to her as Monsieur Garier had been which had made her uncomfortable. With this thought, Erik placed his hands behind his back, turned and then walked back over to the secret full length mirror.

Erik turned back towards her and now watched as Laurette studied her hair now in the mirror, her fingers automatically reaching to touch her curls as she sometimes did when she was nervous. For some reason, this was not a habit Erik minded at all. If anything, it was usually a signal to him that there was something Laurette was concerned about. But he was most certain Monsieur Garier would not see it that way. Still, even with her hair now partially down, she looked very elegant.

_And beautiful_.

He had not noticed a woman physically since Christine. Not that it mattered, as Erik knew he was never meant for such a physical relationship. But still, he found Laurette's appearance tonight hard to ignore which completely agitated him. He highly respected Laurette and his sudden physical attraction to her was just…_inappropriate_,he thought

"Would you…would you hand me that box?" Erik suddenly heard Laurette ask.

She was now facing him only a few steps away. He blinked for a moment, coming to the realization she was asking him a question. He turned to the dressing table and saw next to the book he had wanted to see was a large velvet box. But instead of giving it to Laurette, he took it and opened it. A glittering, most likely very expensive, diamond necklace was revealed.

"A gift from Monsieur Garier I assume," said Erik with almost a bitter tone in his voice.

Laurette turned her head away, an uncomfortable look on her face. She did not answer. Erik scolded himself for his tone. He knew it wasn't her fault for having such a thing.

He carefully removed it from the velvet box and walked again behind Laurette. She slightly lifted her hair to one side and Erik saw the back of her neck. He had the thought of how soft the skin probably was and how Monsieur Garier had touched it. He pushed these thoughts away and fastened the necklace around her neck.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Erik walked back in front of her and tried to make her feel better. "It is in fact a stunning necklace. It matches the elegance of your dress," Erik said, trying now to look at her without continued thoughts.

"I just…I hope tonight goes well," Laurette said, now obviously changing the subject. Her hands went back to playing with the ends of her curls.

"They will do very well. Think of their first debut. Did even you expect to see them perform so flawlessly?" he asked. Now he was growing even more frustrated with himself as he was thinking her lips made up with color were very full and…sweet looking, _damn it._

"Yes, well, even at their best, you know _this_ performance will not be flawless," replied Laurette.

"Not the audience. And yes…while I am certain a few of the critics may notice some of the things we have changed, I think they will give you credit for what you have done with such an inexperienced cast," Erik said trying to take his gaze away from her lips.

"I certainly could not have done it without you," she said still looking at him. Erik had to dart his eyes away for a moment when she said this.

"I may have had to assist you in this production, but you are the one that works with them each day. It is your interaction that brings forth their talent. I certainly had no part in that," Erik said tilting his head slightly at her as he watched her eyes now look to the floor. He thought she saw her blush slightly at his comment.

"Thank you," she said quietly. He thought she was about to say something else when they heard a knock at the door.

"Madame, it is time," said a voice Erik recognized as Gautier.

Laurette looked nervously at Erik.

"You will watch the performance?" she asked.

Erik nodded. "You will see," he said very quietly to her so not to be overheard, "they will do very well."

Erik was glad to see her suddenly smile at him even though he once again had the irritating thought of how beautiful she looked. She picked up her skirt slightly and walked out of the room to the small living room area. Erik heard the door open and close, and then he knew she was gone.

He let out a sigh. Erik was actually as nervous as she was about how the cast would perform tonight. But he wanted to give her assurance before she went to speak with them. Erik knew she would most likely pass along such confidence to them.

He turned to walk through the secret mirror, but then remembered the book on her dressing room table he wanted to see. Erik was about to walk over to look at it, but then stopped himself. Laurette had most certainly thought he would immediately leave after she had gone. It was not right by any means for him to be looking around while she was not here.

Erik's thoughts then dwelled for a moment on his reaction to how she looked tonight. He did not love Laurette. It was the dress that made him physically attracted to her. _And there was certainly nothing wrong in her looking beautiful as any woman would want to_, Erik thought.

Leaving the book untouched on her dresser, Erik tapped the mirror and made his way to Box 5.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"This should be interesting," Erik overheard a man with silver hair down below. He was in the balcony now, sitting cautiously behind the curtain peering through to the audience.

"Yes, leave it to Monsieur Garier to bring in such a complicated production to impress us. I have no doubt this was his selection of course," replied another man shaking the other's hand.

"Well, I can only imagine what that poor girl has gone through," said a very small, older woman with matching silver hair.

"It will be alright," said the man who was now holding her hand. "My dear, she is a quite talented director. I am sure she managed to find a way."

"That does not excuse Monsieur Garier," said the woman in a low tone.

_No, it does not, _thought Erik.

"Yes, well, no matter the outcome, I look forward to hearing that Justine fellow," said the woman now with a smile.

"I think she has her eyes set on him," said the silver-haired man to the dark haired man.

"Are you saying you would actually leave Alain for such a young, un-wealthy man?" the dark haired man asked with a chuckle.

"I do not require money for love," she replied. "Although I assure you, that Justine will be wealthy enough soon. With that voice and those looks…well, I can only imagine the career ahead of him!"

"So does that mean you are going to leave me, your adoring husband?" asked Alain.

"Certainly not. It has taken me far to long to bring you where you are today. Why would I want to start over and train another man?"

Erik smiled. He watched as the husband patted his wife's hand and then kissed it lovingly. The two were obviously husband and wife for a number of years. They actually looked very sweet together, chatting away happily to the other man next to them. Erik thought he had seen them a few times before years ago, but they were never this close to the stage.

The woman was right regarding Justine, especially if he did as well as Erik hoped tonight. He would be able to secure almost any role around the world. But Erik hoped Justine would wait at least for a while. Not only did he need to continue in his efforts to perfect his voice, but it would be valuable for Laurette to continue to have him as a star. It would certainly help her, especially if Monsieur Garier selected any further productions as complicated as this one.

Julia of course was a good singer, but Erik knew as did Laurette, that she was not destined for stardom. Erik had overheard Julia comment to other cast members that she wasn't certain she wanted to travel and had her sights set on marriage with children. She would be content with smaller parts if ever visiting divas would take the lead in singing.

_Like Monsieur Garier would ever pay for such a thing_, thought Erik.

He turned his attention away from the elderly couple to the private boxes in the middle upper balcony. And there he was, Monsieur Garier, this time with a brunette on his arm. This was most likely Madam Sordeau Erik had heard him discussing with Edmound.

_But if Madam Sordeau was here, then Laurette must not going to the ball with him,_ Erik thought. His spirits lifted slightly, although Erik still worried what Monsieur Garier had in mind for Laurette.

Like Mademoiselle Bovie before, this new woman was also tall and slender. She wore a deep gold off the shoulder dress accompanied by diamond jewelry. She smiled in a rather fake manner whenever she was introduced to anyone. Her hair was pinned elaborately up with very tight curls. Erik thought of Laurette's hair that was fairly straight with natural curls at the ends. In regards to beauty, there was simply no comparison between Laurette and this aloof woman on Monsieur Garier's arm.

_Stop it_, Erik told himself when he began to think again about how Laurette looked. And then the musicians appeared taking their seats. The lights flickered and the audience quieted. As usual, polite applause followed as the conductor took his place. Erik held his breath.

Fortunately he didn't need to for long. Andre's first appearance was very strong and he did well. Felicite also did exceptional in her acting ability which was by far certainly natural for her. Laurette had been right to select her for the part of Fenella as she looked quite innocent. Erik was pleased when he saw the audience's reaction when Fenella learned of Alfonso's betrayal. The hurt and sadness of her character was definitely felt by those who watched, especially the women Erik observed.

Justine had a mesmerizing entrance as the caring brother bent on revenge. His voice carried easily to a broad range as a tenor. Erik saw the silver haired woman smile at Justine's appearance while her husband shook his head and kissed her on the cheek during the scene.

All in all, the performance went well. Not that there weren't some mistakes. Maurice and Armond were clearly the most calm as it was quite evident that other chorus members still seemed nervous. Some missed particular designated spots onstage, but they managed through.

The final scene with the volcano was spectacular. Erik and Laurette had some concern as Phillipe was unable to show them the entire functionality of the set as he had limited materials for the flowing lava for future shows. But he did not let them down. Erik had no doubt any of the audience had ever seen anything like it. And he heard the audience gasp as the volcano came to life and Fenella took her life.

A very loud standing ovation followed. It was over and Erik was extremely relieved. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from his chest. He was certain Laurette was feeling the same way right now. Hopefully Erik would see her tomorrow to congratulate her as well as discuss a few areas of improvement he saw.

After the cast was finished taking their bows, Erik was pleased that Laurette was lead onto the stage this time by Justine. She was already holding a large bouquet of red roses given to her. She looked slightly more relaxed on Justine's arm, though Erik knew once again she didn't seem to thrive in any spotlight. It was as if this moment was something Laurette was required to do and she quickly backed away taking little time so the curtain would be brought down.

The ovations continued and the cast emerged again, but without Laurette Erik noticed. Justine received the most applause which most likely did not help in furthering his ego.

The lights came on and the audience started to leave their seats, some lingering to talk with others. Most began to make their way down the aisles to the next event in the ballroom.

It was a very satisfying night for Erik. The performance was exactly what he hoped for. Not flawless of course, but exceptionally well for what he and Laurette had accomplished in so little time in putting it together. And certainly credit had to be given to such a talented cast that was so quickly learning, despite the stress of such limited time.

Erik made his way down the secret staircase from the balcony to the back corridors. He decided this time not to go up to the catwalks as he felt it was time to retire for the evening and finally relax, maybe even work a little on his own music. As he made his way down the back hall, he overheard many of the cast excitedly talking about the performance.

"Did you see me? I did it; I managed to do the whole scene perfectly."

"I missed my spot on stage!"

"No one saw it, don't worry. You sang wonderfully."

"Everyone danced perfectly. We were certainly in unison tonight!"

"_Erik_?"

Erik stopped suddenly when he heard his name.

"_Erik?_" called the voice again coming from the Music Room. To his complete surprise it was Laurette. Was something wrong? Was Monsieur Garier already demanding something else?

He walked quickly back up the stairs to the Music Room. Reaching the large mirror, he saw Laurette looking at it, obviously hoping he would hear her. She had just about given up and looking disappointed, turned to the door when Erik stepped in the room.

"What is wrong?" he asked in a concerned voice.

Upon hearing his voice, Laurette turned back and beamed a beautiful smile at him. She walked so quickly up to him that he took a slight step back as he was not expecting this reaction.

"Did you see them? How well they did? Not perfect of course, but they did very well! Justine will have quite an inflated sense of himself with all those standing ovations. He has grown so popular. Still, it was to our advantage with this production. And the volcano! Phillipe did such a stunning job!"

Laurette was chattering away at him with excitement. Erik had seen her happy, but never this exhilarated. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact that nothing was wrong, that she just wanted to talk to him for some reason. At the same time, he was trying hard not to laugh as she was so giddy.

"Dion and Armond of course led the way in trying to calm everyone," Laurette went on. "Julia did well, didn't she? She seemed fairly confident and her voice was strong. And what about the dancers? They were very together tonight, yes? I think so. Did you see Andre and how well he did? He was very keyed up before the performance."

Why was she bothering to ask him these questions when she wasn't even allowing him to answer? And yet she still continued.

"The last backdrop in the second scene didn't come together so smoothly, but I am sure Phillipe will work that out. And we need to think about maybe spreading out the cast a little more when there is so many onstage during the last scene. I do not know if…Erik?"

She suddenly looked at him and was most likely observing that he was still standing there, saying nothing. Now she looked concerned.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Are you not as pleased?" Laurette asked.

"Oh yes, very. I told you they would do well," replied Erik, finally able to get a few words into the conversation.

"Good…because you looked like something was wrong," she said to him.

"No, no…," he said to her still thinking that it was she who had called his name making him wonder the same thing. It was also interesting how she just used the word "looked" as to describe some facial expression when he had a mask on.

"Then what is wrong?" she asked.

"I…well, I thought you would not be here afterwards. I was not expecting you to see me until tomorrow," Erik explained.

"But I _wanted_ to talk with you! I had to come back here. At least to talk with someone else besides the cast. They are so focused on their own performances; it is hard to discuss the larger picture of the entire production. And you helped me with it. I just had to speak with you of course," she said anxiously looking at him now.

Erik was still unsure of this, quite dumbfounded that she would come straight to him after the performance. While it was true he was as excited as well, he had not imagined that she wanted to share openly such happiness with him and not others.

"Should you not…be going to a ball?" he asked reluctantly.

"Oh that," said Laurette flopping herself down on an armchair, her dress billowing in a heap as she sat. She hadn't bothered to carefully seat herself as other women would do in such an elaborate dress. "I would really prefer not to go."

"But Monsieur Garier will expect you there," Erik said. Then he felt bad as he saw her wince at his words.

"Yes," she replied with a sigh. There was silence for a moment. Then she suddenly looked up at him. "Will you come with me?"

"What?" asked Erik incredulously.

She stood up and walked towards him again. "Come with me," she said again.

Erik was very uneasy with her now. "Laurette," he said quietly, "surely by now…surely by now you know who I am."

Her eyes and head looked down for a moment. Then she raised her head back up to him. "I have heard the stories, if that is what you mean, yes," Laurette said quietly. Then she took another step towards him. "But _I_ only know you as Erik. Is that not all that matters?"

"Laurette," Erik said uncomfortably, "if you do in fact know who I am, then…" He looked down. "So you know why I cannot show my face."

She laughed and Erik looked at her sharply. Laurette's smile disappeared when she seem to sense the anger he felt at her reaction to something so sensitive. But then she smiled yet again, still looking at him.

"You did not see all of my dress," she said, looking at him in an amused way.

"What do you mean?" asked Erik obviously confused. What more could there be to see? And how did that have anything to do with his face?

Laurette walked over to one of the armchairs where she had set down her notebook full of music and various sketches with notes about the production. The large bouquet of roses lay on one side. Reaching underneath it, she pulled something out. When she turned back around to face him, she was holding a mask on a wand that covered her eyes. It matched her dress perfectly.

Erik let a slight laugh out under his breath, his head bowing when he saw this. He understood now.

"The ball is a masquerade," Laurette went on to explain. She stepped toward him again, lowering the mask still smiling. "So you see, you _can_ come with me."

Erik had seen the popular masquerades before, but had never actually attended one as an invited guest. He seldom had watched, however, as he had little interest in such social events. Some of this was due to him not being a part of society; the other was the fact that it was a prime event for women to fulfill every gossip need.

"I understand," said Laurette quietly when he did not respond. "I would rather not go myself. It is difficult for me to meet so many people. I am…well, I am not very good at such social events. Monsieur Garier usually does all the talking."

Erik's eyes narrowed when she spoke Monsieur Garier's name. Even with Madame Sordeau there, he doubted Monsieur Garier would ever leave Laurette alone. He would make sure to show her off as one of the many materialistic items he owned. The thought made his anger well up again.

"And just _who_ would I be?" asked Erik suddenly reconsidering.

Laurette's spirits lifted immediately. She gave him such a smile, Erik suddenly started to have thoughts once again about how beautiful she was tonight. It irritated him as it was most distracting.

"Monsieur Michel Rosseau of course," replied Laurette.

"Who?"

"Surely you must know the name," said Laurette. "I have seen you glancing at the paper sometimes in the evenings. I would assume you have read the various critics."

Now it came to him. Michel Rosseau was an Opera Critic. But not one he always saw in the newspapers, although he usually enjoyed his column whenever he did manage to see one. This critic appeared to be well known by other critics as Erik had seen mention of Monsieur Rosseau in other columns. It appeared that other critics usually followed his lead whenever he did release his opinion.

"Yes, I have in fact heard the name now that I think about it," said Erik. "But I certainly think someone as well known would not be a very good idea to introduce as me."

"Well, he may be well known, but no one has actually _seen_ him," explained Laurette.

"No one?"

"No one," said Laurette.

"But what if someone _has_ seen him and they know he is not me?" asked Erik, still completely unsure of all this. He wanted to help Laurette but was beginning to regret even considering it now.

"Because," said Laurette, "I am the only one who has ever seen him."

"What do you mean?"

"Michel Rosseau was a childhood friend of mine. He grew up with me in Versailles near my stepfather's opera house. Unlike me, he _always_ loved opera, and was a frequent visitor to the rehearsals. But he had no talent as to actually singing or directing an opera, so he settled on being a writer. By the time I began to direct for my stepfather, he was a well known opera critic. His opinion was printed in so many newspapers in different cities then he could remember. He was thrilled when I began to direct, but he was also tired of his surroundings. For years he had stopped going out into public. He was just…different and did not like the attention. He became known as a very secretive man who liked privacy. His servants and messengers seem to be his only link to the outside world. He would sometimes visit me if I had not stopped by in a while." Laurette grew quiet for a moment and Erik had to wonder if there was more to her knowing Michel more then a friend.

"So what happened?" Erik asked, wanting her to continue.

Laurette seem to suddenly realize she had stopped with her thoughts. "Oh, well, he decided to move to the Americas. But before he left, Michel made me promise to keep him…alive so to speak."

"Are you saying," Erik paused as he watched a smile slowly appear once again on her face. "You are Michel Rosseau?"

She nodded.

"Do you have any other men you pretend to be or is this finally the last one you have to tell me?" asked Erik shaking his head laughing lightly.

Laurette laughed in return. "Yes, I suppose since I cannot live as a man that I have accomplished what I wanted by carrying on such facades."

"No doubt Michel Rosseau was a kind critic to your productions," Erik said now understanding how she managed to continue Monsieur Beaumont's performances.

"Yes, well, I only wrote a critique once in a great while. Only when I needed to. I had little time to write and I was always worried someone would find out. But I seem to take on his writing style fairly well. Michel made me practice quite a bit before he left. No one seemed to even question me when I had messengers send over the critiques to the publishers. However, as you know, stories can grow. He has taken on a personality of mystery as no one has ever seen him. I assure you that he is not at the top of the gossip list, but I do hear people wonder about him whenever I release an article. No one knows him," Laurette finished.

"I am beginning to wonder if I am the one with such a secret background in comparison to you," said Erik holding back a slight smile. Once again she had taken him off guard with her past.

"But you see, it would be fine," she said.

She took another step toward Erik. Laurette had been close to him before and he had become more used to this. However, with how she looked tonight he was not comfortable at all. Erik was extremely aware of how close she was to him.

"Please come with me."

Erik saw the hopeful facial expression she had. No doubt she did not want to be alone tonight when she arrived at this ball. Why hadn't she found someone else to take her if Monsieur Garier was not going to be her companion? But when would she have even had the time to do this? Those damn eyes were looking right through him again and Erik felt almost helpless in his desire to do something for her. Even though he did not love Laurette, he was learning that his one weakness with her was seeing her sad. He always wanted to see that smile on her face. Erik gave a very deep sigh.

"Alright," he said, still not believing he was agreeing to this.

Laurette beamed at him once again and walked back to the armchair. She returned holding another mask. It was mostly black, but had red markings that matched her dress as well. He laughed slightly when she handed it to him.

"How is it that you happen to have a man's mask that matches so well? Had Monsieur Garier actually planned on taking you when he was seeing Madame Sordeau?"

Laurette smile faded and she looked away. "Yes," she replied quietly.

"Oh. I am sorry. I just thought that with him seeing her…"

"That he would not risk taking me," Laurette finished for him.

Erik hesitated, now feeling bad that he had made her uncomfortable again.

"It is alright," she said now starting to look happier. "You are coming with me. I won't need to be alone now. Although I worry I will most likely owe you something, such as giving into you on a particular scene in the next production we work on."

Erik laughed. "Yes, that would be a good way to pay a debt owed to me." He was secretly pleased though that she had used the word "we" for work on the next production. He was finally a part of the opera world again.

"I already owe you enough for helping me," she said.

He shook his head. "No, while I admit that I was at first reluctant to help you, now I realize it was more then anything I ever wanted." _Except for Christine_, he thought. He had wanted her more then anything.

He took the mask and placed it on top of his own. It fit well as it was about the same size, if not slightly larger then the plain mask he was already wearing, He could have taken his own mask off of course to replace it with this one, but felt too awkward about doing so with Laurette in the room. With so many mirrors, there was no way to ensure she would not look at his face even if he asked her not to while he changed it. But looking in one of the mirrors, Erik was satisfied that it looked fine…for a mask anyway.

Laurette went back to the armchair and tidied up some of her loose papers. She then retrieved a silk shawl also in the chair and wrapped it loosely around her shoulders, the fabric gracefully falling as she held it in place with her arms. But it didn't seem to hide any of her features from Erik. No, he could still very well see her bare shoulders and, well, other areas below.

"What about the roses?"

"What?"

"The bouquet of roses," said Erik gesturing toward the arm chair. "Do you not want to carry them?"

"They are beautiful, but I would rather not. It feels like I am showing off the appreciation I have received," said Laurette.

"Well, you certainly do deserve it," said Erik.

Laurette shrugged, looking over at the roses. "No, I would still rather not. And why is it that roses are always red? Have you ever noticed that? There are so many different unique colors, but red seems to always be the common selected choice. Why is that?"

"Because red symbolizes the color of love," said Erik. As soon as he said this he regretted it. _As if I would know anything about love, _Erik thought uncomfortably. But Laurette did not seem to notice how he was feeling.

"Well, I prefer anything but red. I like things that are different."

"Really?I _never_ would have thought that," replied Erik in a sarcastic voice. Laurette laughed and he could not help but smile at her.

Before he knew it, Erik found himself with Laurette on his left arm nearing the grand staircase to the ballroom. Various couples were making their way up the stairs, talking to others and paying compliments on their evening dress. Although a masquerade, this was a fairly formal event with masks only, no costumes or such. All the men were wearing masks with their tuxedos, but while this should have made Erik more at ease, it did not. Laurette was tense as well. He could feel her hand tighten around his arm as they drew near to the stairs. They stopped for a moment and he took another deep breath.

"Ready?" he asked quietly still looking straight ahead.

"No," came the reply in a soft voice next to him.

"That was not the answer I was looking for."

"Perhaps that is the answer I wanted to give."

"_Must_ you argue with everything?" Erik asked now turning his head and looking down at her. She turned her head and looked up at him giving a slight smile. He shook his head and they walked up the stairs together.

As soon as they reached the top of the stairs Erik could see Monsieur Garier from a distance walking quickly over to them. He seemed to be the only man that was not wearing a mask – most likely to make sure everyone knew who he was. They made it inside the doors, the servants greeting them.

The ballroom was of enormous size with another staircase leading down to the main dance floor. The room was open so that one could walk around on the second level looking down. Erik knew the theater could seat a few thousand and it appeared at least half were invited to this event. Many of them were down on the main floor, talking in groups while others were dancing as the orchestra played.

"Where _have_ you been? And just who the hell is this?" asked Monsieur Garier in a low tone walking right up to Erik and Laurette.

Erik could not help himself and glared at him. This was the first time he had come face to face with Monsieur Garier. Erik was by far much taller then him and he could not help but think how easy it would be to silence this man once and for all.

"Monsieur Garier," said Laurette nervously, "may I introduce Monsieur Michel Rosseau."

Monsieur Garier's demeanor changed immediately upon Laurette saying this. "The Opera Critic? The same Monsieur Rosseau who has appeared in so many newspapers?" asked Monsieur Garier. Erik was humored by this as he knew Monsieur Garier was panicking with his publicity strategies. Rather than outright lie, Erik gave a simple bow of his head to Monsieur Garier in response.

"Ah, I see," said Monsieur Garier giving Laurette a stern look. "If I had but known that you were going to be here this evening, I would have made sure you received the best seats in the theater of course."

"Should not the opera sound well enough to be heard wherever one sits?" asked Erik with a harsher tone then he would have liked.

"Well, yes of course. I just hoped you had a good view as well."

_Yes, leave it to him to think of only what I see and not hear,_ thought Erik.

"It was fine," replied Erik still feeling annoyed.

"And so, what did you think of the opera? Especially one that had a _woman_ for a director," he asked.

"I believe the production was done exceptionally well for _any_ director to be proud in achieving such an accomplishment," Erik said.

"Yes, well…," Monsieur Garier hesitated realizing he had made the mistake of pointing out Laurette was a woman director, "I was selective in my choice with whom I would entrust to direct the revival of this glorious opera house."

_Oh please,_ thought Erik sarcastically. He could not control his continued thoughts about this man.

"She is a very talented director," said Erik looking at Laurette who gave him a blushing smile. "She deserves every bit of praise for such a fine performance."

Monsieur Garier seemed to tighten his jaw at Erik saying this, but forced a smile. "Yes, she is. The public does seem to be quite taken with her. She has provided quite an image."

"You mean in her directing style," replied Erik pointing out once again that he was critiquing the opera and not Laurette's appearance.

"Well, yes, of course," answered Monsieur Garier a bit flustered which pleased Erik. "She was of course responsible for tonight's success, as was the cast."

_It would take so little effort for me to wrap a rope around your neck, _thought Erik still unable to contain his thoughts. "Of course."

"Yes," said Monsieur Garier continuing, "Justine will be quite the crowd pleaser for all future performances…"

_I could hang you from that light fixture over your head…_

"…as I am sure you have noticed what a voice he has, not to mention his good looks…"

_But then you'd be too heavy and most likely break the ceiling…_

"…Julia is fine, but she will never be the diva an audience is looking for."

_So I would just finish you off by tightening the rope around that neck and strangling you personally._

"Julia still has talent," replied Erik flatly pushing his thoughts aside. "She may not be the best female singer in this world, but she has a lot of heart in her performances." Monsieur Garier shifted uncomfortably as Erik continued to make such comments that did not appear to him to be of a pleasing tone.

_Now how does it feel to be the one uncomfortable?_ thought Erik remembering how Laurette felt when Monsieur Garier had done the same to her.

"Madame Duprey!"

Erik turned slightly and saw an elderly couple walking toward them. They wore matching yellow masks, the woman's glittering with sequins. She was extremely short and had rather beautiful silver hair. Erik realized at once that this was the husband and wife he had observed earlier in the theater.

"How wonderful to see you!" exclaimed the woman to Laurette with a warm smile.

"Please, my dear," said the man who held her arm, "She does not even know who we are as of yet."

"Well who would _not_ know who we are? Everyone does," replied the woman.

"I do apologize," said Laurette in what Erik thought was a rather sweet voice, "but I do not. Did we meet at the previous ball on Opening Night?"

"Oh no, my dear," said the woman, "We had a visit from our grandchildren who came to stay with us that evening. Wonderful really, though I missed seeing what I heard was an exquisite performance!"

Monsieur Garier cleared his throat to interrupt. The woman, much to Erik's delight, glared at him. "May I present Madame Ignes Morin and Monsieur Alain Morin. They are very large contributors to the arts and we always appreciate such generosity," said Monsieur Garier eyeing Laurette carefully. Erik had the thought to strangle him again.

"And who is this?" asked Monsieur Morin looking at Erik.

"Oh, yes, may I please introduce Monsieur Michel Rosseau, one of our fellow opera critics," said Monsieur Garier making a point to say what profession Erik did.

"What a pleasure to meet you," said Monsieur Morin putting his hand out and warmly shaking Erik's hand. "Your critiques are always so in tune with what the public thinks. It is nice to have a critic that appreciates the audience's point of view. What a treat for us to finally meet you."

"Do you now live nearby?" asked Madame Morin curiously.

"No," replied Erik using Laurette's storyline she had told him, "I live closer to Versailles. I decided to pay a last minute visit so I could watch tonight's performance." Erik made this a point as he knew Monsieur Garier was already angry at Laurette for not letting him know he was taking her to this ball.

"Speaking of visiting," said Madame Morin turning to Laurette, "My dear, have you had a chance to see Paris?"

"Well, no. I have not had much time," replied Laurette.

"Oh, then you must come visit with me tomorrow. Alain and I were planning on coming back into town. We live a short distance outside the city. We would love to show you some of our favorite areas," said Madame Morin enthusiastically. Erik could feel Laurette's hand on his arm relaxing with this warm and friendly couple. He liked them as well.

"Thank you. That is most kind," Laurette said now giving a smile. "It would be rather nice to take a day away from-,"

"No, that will not be possible," interrupted Monsieur Garier. "I have already been thinking about the next production and while this one will be performed a few more times, I want her to start working on it."

Monsieur Morin looked disapprovingly at Monsieur Garier. Madame Morin appeared as if she were about to say something but Erik noticed her husband place his other hand on hers was holding his arm and held her back.

"I am sure there will be another time then. Opera season doesn't last forever of course," said Monsieur Morin smiling at Laurette. She only smiled at him slightly in response, obviously uncomfortable with Monsieur Garier speaking for her.

"Leon!"

Erik now saw what appeared to be a very lavishly dressed couple walking up to them. The man was tall, about the same height as Erik. He had blonde hair with blue eyes that were looking at Laurette. The woman on his arm was also blonde, her hair elegantly put up. Her dress was green and very low cut to the point that it left little to the imagination.

"Antoine!" exclaimed Monsieur Garier giving the man a warm embrace. He turned to Erik and Laurette. "May I introduce Monsieur Antoine Leduc and Mademoiselle Catherine Fortin. And this, is Monsieur Michel Rosseau and Madame Laurette-"

"Duprey," finished Monsieur Leduc with a wide smile, his eyes freely roaming over Laurette. "I need no introduction Leon, I have been most anxious to meet this wonderful creature."

Then to Erik's surprise, Monsieur Leduc took Laurette's free hand and kissed it, his lips lingering obviously longer then appropriate. When he did not release Laurette's hand, she timidly withdrew it and then placed it with her other hand holding Erik's arm.

This slight gesture from Laurette made Erik feel quite responsible for her, especially when it came to encountering someone like this. The fact that this Monsieur Leduc so openly showed such affection in front of Erik to Laurette was completely disrespectful to him and Madame Fortin, who also did not appear pleased as her eyes glared at Laurette. Erik's character of Michel Rosseau was not necessarily seeing Laurette in any romantic way, but Monsieur Leduc hardly knew that. Erik took his hand and placed it protectively over Laurette's hand on his arm.

"You must be the main star of this room," said Monsieur Leduc not even noticing Erik's eyes that were now narrowing at him. "I must say that was such a brilliant performance for a woman. You were right, Leon, she is quite a sight." Erik saw that Monsieur and Madame Morin were practically rolling their eyes from underneath their masks.

"Yes, yes. Well, I expect only the best of course," replied Monsieur Garier smiling.

"I myself am owner of the largest bank in the city, Madame. I also expect the very best. I can see you have brought that out from them. Such a fine Company. You must be very pleased."

"Yes," said Laurette as Erik felt her hand tighten on his arm again, "they did very well, better then I had hoped."

"Hoped? If I ever hoped my employees would do a good job I would not be the wealthy man I am today! Come now, you must take full credit for driving them to success."

"Yes…thank you," replied Laurette obviously unsure of what to say. Erik knew a few words _he_ wanted to say but restrained himself.

"How beautiful you look this evening," Monsieur Leduc continued, "That dress is most becoming on you. It certainly compliments your beautiful skin."

"Thank you," Laurette said again quietly. Erik saw Madame Fortin shift and place her hand on her hip as she grew impatient at his remarks. Erik was feeling the exact same way.

"You are very welcome. It is not every day we see such a woman with talent, mind, and beauty. Leon, you certainly have outdone yourself."

"It took time Antoine, but I know talent when I see it," said Monsieur Garier with a smirk. Erik felt sick. He was unsure if he could last much longer.

Then Monsieur Leduc's gaze fell onto Laurette's lips. "Tell me, my dear, have you ever even thought of using such beauty on the stage?"

"No," Laurette replied, her eyes now looking down nervously.

Erik grew more agitated. She was a director, not some statue to gaze upon on stage. Clearly Monsieur Garier was not the only one who placed such value on her appearance.

"But you have such a beautiful face," said Monsieur Leduc. Then Erik was shocked as the man reached out and held up Laurette's chin, his index finger actually brushing against her lips. Laurette shrank back, her face turned away looking extremely uncomfortable. Erik immediately stepped slightly in front of Laurette, breaking Monsieur Leduc's contact with her.

"_If_ you will excuse us," Erik said in a low tone to Monsieur Leduc, "Madame Duprey and I must take our leave. I am sure Monsieur Garier wishes for her to meet quite a few more of the guests." He looked at Monsieur Garier as he knew this comment would bring to life any publicity thoughts.

"Yes, quite right," replied Monsieur Garier looking sternly once again at Laurette.

"Well, perhaps then we could continue this conversation tomorrow if I stop by for a visit," said Monsieur Leduc. In response, Madame Fortin's facial expression looked like she was about to unleash any fury she could onto Laurette.

"Not likely," Erik said in an icy tone. Monsieur Leduc looked questioningly at Erik as if he had just noticed him for the first time. "She has rehearsal," said Erik rather shortly.

"Oh yes," said Madame Morin smiling. "Monsieur Garier reminded us of her schedule tomorrow as _we_ wanted to take her sight seeing." Erik smiled at her. Madame Morin smiled right back. Monsieur Leduc looked sharply at Monsieur Garier as if to send him a message as he so obviously wanted to spend time with Laurette.

"I see. Well, perhaps another time then."

Erik and Laurette bowed slightly with courtesy and took their departure from the group.

"He was…interesting," Laurette said quietly to Erik as they made their way down the stairs to the main dance floor.

"I would have selected quite a different word," said Erik in a low voice so not to be overheard. He was still enraged by the total disrespect that had been shown to Laurette. Now he truly understood what she had to endure from this society.

As soon as they stepped onto the main floor, three more couples approached them. Erik watched as one of these women frowned at Laurette as they came near. The other two women did not appear to be very happy either. But the men were already smiling, eagerly leading the women on their arms to Laurette. Erik gave a slight sigh. This was going to be a very long night.

"Ah, at last, Madame Duprey! I must compliment you on such an exquisite performance," said one man who was simply carrying a yellow mask in his hand. He was very thin and had black hair with a moustache and beard. The woman on his arm was short and rather plump. Her cheeks were rosy and she had small brown eyes that matched her hair. "You may not remember me, I am Pierre Allard and this is my wife Charolotte."

"Oh, yes. How nice to see you again," replied Laurette politely. "May I introduce Michel Rosseau."

"Oh! How wonderful to _finally_ meet you," said the second man who was an older gentleman with not very much hair. His gold mask hid only his eyes and his silver moustache turned upward with his smile. "I am Charles Renaud." Erik recognized the name at once. This was one of the regular opera critics he read in the newspaper.

Erik accepted his handshake. "Thank you. It is certainly a pleasure to meet a fellow opera critic."

"Yes, I am so glad we came tonight as my wife and I were fairly tired with a new child and all - a son, just born a few weeks ago. Is that not right my dear? Oh, excuse my manners, may I introduce my wife Emillie."

Erik bowed his head in acknowledgement. Unlike Monsieur Renaud, his wife appeared very young, perhaps even 20 years younger or more. She was about the same height as Laurette and had blonde hair with very pretty blue eyes. Her young face was fair in color with pink cheeks. She looked more like a child to Erik then a new mother.

"Congratulations," said Erik politely and the girl suddenly smiled at him which appeared to be sincere.

"Yes, well, you are in company as I am also an opera critic. My name is Antone Valee and this is my wife Oudine," said the third man. He had brown hair that was beginning to grey. His mask was rather colorful, spiriting purple and bright green in different patterns. Oudine was an older woman who lowered her rather plain blue mask away from her face. She was tall with black hair. She had a very oval shaped face and pointed nose. Unlike Emillie, Oudine did not offer any smile.

"Very good to meet you," replied Erik shaking Monsieur Valee's hand.

"Well I for one know what my opinion will say in tomorrow's paper," said Monsieur Renaud turning and looking at Laurette with a smile. "My dear, I must say I am impressed. Certainly some areas that need improvement of course, but for a cast so clearly inexperienced with so little time to prepare, why I do not think any other director could have compared to your talent!"

"Yes, but I was disappointed in some of the changes you made," said Monsieur Valee. "I am not quite sure the composer would have agreed with the modifications you made, such as the introduction of Elvira. It would have been better if she had a solo as originally written."

"Oh I disagree," said Monsieur Renaud. "You know that Julia is no diva. The blending of other voices was very creative."

"Well I do admit that the dancing was very good. Their performance seemed to be absolutely flawless. It was very well choreographed," said Monsieur Valee.

Erik of course was quite pleased at this comment. "Yes, I quite agree. A _very_ talented chorus of dancers," said Erik knowing full well this would humorously irritate Laurette. He smiled knowingly as he looked at her. She responded by pursing her lips, but then gave way to a smile.

"Some of the entrances with the sets were very good. Justine made quite an entrance in one particular scene when he came right from the middle behind the set," said Monsieur Renaud.

"Thank you," said Laurette squeezing Erik's arm as now it was his turn to accept defeat. If anything, at least it proved that both of their ideas seemed to be good ones for the most part. But he was sure to endure more teasing from Laurette from this comment, although at least he could easily do the same.

"Opera critics," muttered Monsieur Allard. "Who would think that we would be suddenly in the middle of three of them? Madame Duprey, I feel your pain." The others chuckled in good humor.

"Well, I can see that her selective choices seem to assist in her success," said Madame Valee dryly. Erik knew she was referring to the fact that Laurette was on his arm, as if she was making sure to have Michel Rosseau give a good critique in exchange for her affection. He saw Madame Allard snicker slightly.

"Yes, well her choices seem to be the _right_ ones, unlike some others I know," said Madamoiselle Renaud giving a frown to Madame Valee. Whatever her meaning, Erik was pleased that the young girl did not let these other women intimidate her.

"Ladies, please," said Monsieur Allard looking annoyed, but then he grinned at Laurette. "My, but you cause quite the jealousy among them."

Madame Valee gave a scoff. "She has not completely proved herself yet, Pierre," said Madame Valee. "Two productions do not mean much in terms of experience. Why, I know other directors who had to work years before getting such approval." Erik was irritated as they talked as if Laurette was not even in the room.

Monsieur Renaud shook his head. "That is exactly why Madame Duprey here proves her talent. In such a short time, she has _accomplished_ what other directors take years to do."

"Quite right Charles," said Monsieur Allard. Madame Valee and Madame Allard gave quite loathing looks at Laurette while Mademoiselle Renaud simply smiled sweetly.

They all talked for a while longer until they politely moved aside for the next group of couples that were waiting to greet them. Erik felt like Laurette was completely on display even without Monsieur Garier. He was thankful that for the most part, he did not have to say too much in conversation and neither did Laurette for that matter. Most of the discussions were directed at those that already knew each other. As Laurette had said to him before, it was obvious that most of them just wanted to be seen as associated with her, not really to know who she was. Although the men did in fact seem intrigued. The women on the other hand, except for a few, glared at Laurette and offered no comforting conversation to her.

Finally, Erik and Laurette managed to break away from the crowd. To Laurette's delight, she saw Justine against a far wall beckoning her to him. As they approached, Erik saw Andre, Maurice, Armond, and Dion. He was actually relieved that there were no women as he was tired of listening to their comments regarding Laurette and giving each other looks that annoyed him.

"Madame! Finally you have come over to congratulate me on my fine performance," exclaimed Justine laughing. "Come now, let me hear you say that it exceeded your expectations!" Erik refrained from shaking his head. It was clear that Justine's ego had in fact been stroked even though he tried to put it humorously.

"Who is this?" Andre asked. Laurette introduced Erik and they all greeted him with warm, friendly handshakes. He felt Laurette finally relax somewhat again which was not surprising with the sea of friendly known faces in front of her. But their lively conversation was short lived as suddenly Monsieur Garier appeared and took Laurette's free hand.

"There are some important guests you must meet. One of which is the mayor. _I _will introduce you of course. Come with me," he said.

Laurette hesitantly released Erik's arm as Monsieur Garier led her away. Erik placed his hands now behind his back, watching Laurette as she was paraded in front of a group not far from them.

"Monsieur Garier," said Justine in a low tone. "That man has a different woman on his arm every event."

"Oh and you do not?" asked Andre. Dion and Armond laughed.

"Yes, but I do not have near the choice of upper society he has," Justine said, gesturing over to Madame Sordeau who was standing in the group with Laurette. "That will be my goal. First I will attract the pretty ones and then the wealthy ones."

"You are too much," scolded Armond. "Just remember that some day one of those pretty faces will knock you off your feet and maybe even stifle that ego of yours."

"Never," said Justine with a smile. "But still, you have to admit that he certainly has accomplished quite a bit within the ranks of society in a short time."

"Yes, especially for someone who came from such a poor background," said Andre now puffing on a cigar.

"Really?" asked Erik turning his head from watching Laurette to Andre. He was interested in hearing any personal details regarding Monsieur Garier. Perhaps he could use the information in his favor somehow.

"Oh yes. The man had nothing. From what I understand he has even disowned his parents, not wanting to be embarrassed by such a poor family. How quickly he forgets his roots."

"By the way," said Justine to Erik, "You are from Versailles, yes?" Erik gave a slight nod. "Well then, perhaps you can fill us in on Madame Duprey."

"Oh yes," Maurice said suddenly, "I heard you were a childhood friend."

_How quickly this story has gotten around_, Erik thought quietly. But could he blame them for wanting to find out more about Madame Duprey? She was mysterious enough to him in the beginning, and still was in fact.

"Yes, I am sure she has to have _some_ secrets in her past," said Andre in an amused tone. "Would you please enlighten us?"

Erik noticed that Armond and Dion looked uncomfortably at each other through their masks. He knew they were worried about Monsieur Beaumont's secret and that Michel Rosseau most likely knew about this, even if they had never seen him.

"No, I do not believe so," said Erik titling his head to the group.

"Damn! He is a gentleman!" said Justine with a smile. "I assure you that the rewards will be great if you tell us."

Erik gave a slight laugh at his persistence. "No, I think not," he said looking at their still eager faces.

"Well, I for one could easily guess _your_ past life Justine," said Andre.

"Go ahead, I have nothing to hide."

Amused somewhat, Erik listened to the two of them banter back and forth at each other. But when he turned to glance at Laurette to keep an eye on her, Erik suddenly realized that Monsieur Leduc had returned and was standing across from her, this time without Madame Fortin on his arm.

"Come, Monsieur Rosseau," said Justine to Erik motioning over to a bar area, "have a drink with us."

"Thank you, but no. I believe I should be returning to Madame Duprey," Erik replied, looking again over to Laurette.

"Oh _God_, Monsieur Leduc," moaned Armond looking over toward Laurette now. The rest of the group also turned to look.

"I cannot stand to even look at the man, much less talk with him," said Andre.

"What do you mean _talk_ with him?" asked Justine. "The man only says anything to women. Men do not exist to him unless you are doing some type of banking deal. Monsieur Rosseau, if you can rescue Madame Duprey, I will buy you a drink for sure."

"I will buy you two," said Andre.

Erik smiled slightly and bowed his head. "I assure you that I will do my best," he replied. And with that, Erik turned and walked toward Laurette.

As he approached, Erik stiffened as he realized that Monsieur Leduc was holding Laurette's left hand in front of the other guests. Laurette was looking obviously uncomfortable while the men seemed to have amused looks on their faces even with their masks on.

"Such beautiful hands," cooed Monsieur Leduc to Laurette. "I have no doubt that such hands are skilled in playing the piano. No doubt they are skilled in other areas. I am sure you have a very _soft_ touch."

Angered by Monsieur Leduc's inappropriate comments, Erik quickened his pace and was suddenly next to Laurette. Before either of them even realized Erik was there, he directly took her hand from Monsieur Leduc and placed it back around his arm.

"You must excuse Madame Duprey," Erik said rather smoothly to him, "However, she owes me a dance." He looked down at her as she raised her head up to him, surprised but relieved at his sudden appearance.

"Yes, of course," replied Monsieur Leduc obviously irritated that once again he seemed to have lost Laurette. Erik and Laurette moved away from the group and headed toward the dance floor.

"Thank you," said Laurette next to him as they walked.

"You are welcome," replied Erik in a gruff voice. He still could not believe such rude behavior toward Laurette. It still was amazing that a man would even attempt to win Laurette's affection when she was with Erik tonight. Well, not really Erik, but Michel Rosseau anyway. Erik shook his head. There were certainly enough men interested in her. But what angered him more was that it seemed to be based entirely on her popularity. They knew nothing of her intelligent mind as Erik did.

"Um, Erik?" asked Laurette ever so softly. He tilted his head downward to hear. "Could we perhaps walk a different way?'

"What do you mean?" asked Erik as they approached the dance floor where the orchestra was playing.

"Well…it is just that…I have not danced for a _very_ long time. Perhaps we can walk back over to Justine and the other members of the cast."

Erik smiled and shook his head. "Oh no," he said in a mocking tone, _"You_ were the one who brought me here tonight. The least you can do is have one dance with me. Besides, Monsieur Garier is watching." Laurette glanced nervously sideways and saw that indeed, Monsieur Garier had been following them among the crowd. Erik already knew as he was aware that he had been doing this all evening.

Erik led Laurette onto the dance floor. He saw Justine and Andre from a distance smiling and raising their glasses at him for his success. Laurette must have been extremely nervous as he felt her hands tremble slightly. He faced her and she picked up the train of her dress in one hand, the other hand closing over his in the proper dance posture. Erik put his hand on her waist which caused him for a moment to slightly feel nervous as he had never touched a woman such as this. But seeing Laurette looking somewhat frightened only made him more confident to place her at ease.

"Just follow my lead," assured Erik. And with that, he began to dance with her, moving around the floor with the other couples. Much to his delight, Laurette did fine right from the start, and they moved effortlessly as if they had been dancing for years.

"You see?" he said to her smiling, "You remember."

"Yes, I guess I do" she said blushing slightly. Then she suddenly looked up at him. "But just how is it that _you_ know how to dance?"

Erik laughed. "Do you really think after watching countless Operas all the days of my life that I would not easily pick up dancing? I knew I would be able to as I know the steps so well after watching them continuously."

She smiled at him and Erik once again was suddenly conscious of how beautiful she looked. He had no choice now but to continue looking at her while they danced as there was no escaping. This close to her, Erik noticed that her eyes had thick dark lashes around her soft blue eyes above her small nose. Her face was somewhat heart shaped with creamy, smooth skin. And those damn rosebud lips were sensuous looking.

"What did you think of the other critics?"

"What? Oh, they were interesting," said Erik suddenly coming back to the reality of talking to Laurette distracted by looking at her facial features. She continued to smile.

"I think they were impressed in meeting you," she said. "Perhaps I can bring you to more masquerade balls in the future!"

"Perhaps, although I must admit other then this moment in dancing with you, I would not say it has been the most wonderful experience. I did not realize that they treated you so badly," replied Erik. Laurette's face softened and he saw her thinking for a moment. She continued to dance very well, following Erik's lead.

"In the end, all that matters is the fact that I am directing. That alone outweighs any harsh reality of this society. And there are a few friendly faces we have met."

"Yes and I noticed most of them were men," said Erik thinking that it was now appropriate to mention an earlier thought regarding the topic. "It is obvious that most of the women seem to be unhappy because the men are so attentive to _you_."

She smiled at him but said nothing.

"I believe you have as easy of selection of men as Justine has with women," Erik said smiling.

"_Never_ compare me with Justine," laughed Laurette. "How _insulting_!"

"Yes, I suppose you are quite right. Justine does seem to have a much larger head on his shoulders then you," chuckled Erik. "And apparently, he has his eyes set on more then just pretty faces from what he said earlier."

"You mean _love_?" asked Laurette incredulously.

"No, riches of course," said Erik in an amused tone. He watched as Laurette laughed again and shook her head.

The music was becoming faster and now both of them had to concentrate to keep up. The room was spinning by the time the dance finally had finished. As the crowd applauded the orchestra, Erik led Laurette away. She was holding her mask to her face so not to be noticed and they found a secluded, rather dimly lit area in the back of the room where only a few couples stood. Erik noticed immediately that some of these couples were taking advantage of the lack of light to steal some intimacy without others really seeing. Erik, of course, could see perfectly.

As he led Laurette over to a wall, he observed a man with dark hair intimately kissing a woman's neck, his hands freely roaming down her sides while she smiled with no objection, closing her eyes. Erik felt a stab of jealousy in watching the man having this moment with a woman who actually wanted this affection. He had fantasized about Christine in such a way so many times. But she did not return the affection as he so badly wanted. He would never know such intimacy.

He was satisfied that he had done somewhat of a good deed with Laurette tonight, especially now appreciating her plight in this materialistic world. Against the wall, Erik and Laurette stood next to each other catching their breath for a moment while watching the numerous guests out on the open floor.

"Do you think I have made enough of an appearance?" asked Laurette. Erik smiled as he knew she desperately wanted to leave. He could not agree more and they had apparently managed to escape from Monsieur Garier as Erik saw him across the room looking around for her.

"Yes, I think so."

"Good," said Laurette, but then she frowned. "Unfortunately with where we are, the only way out is to cross the floor back to the main staircase on the other end of the room." She gave a deep sigh. Erik also knew full well someone would recognize her and then they would be trapped again.

"There is…another way," volunteered Erik softly. Like all the other rooms in the opera house, Erik knew all of its secrets as he had created most of them. There was not a room that did not have some means of escape. He had personally seen to that.

Laurette turned to look at him. "Really?"

"Yes, however…" And then he grabbed her so suddenly around the waist pulling her through a secret wall into a corridor that she gasped and instinctively held onto him with her hands on his shoulders. "…it is rather difficult not to be noticed with that red dress," finished Erik now releasing her. It was complete darkness in where they stood now, but Erik could see Laurette's expression, first still in shock, and then smiling as she realized she was finally free from the ball.

"Thank you," Laurette breathed now composing herself from his sudden action and taking her hands from his shoulders.

"Would you like me to take you back to your suite rather than the Music Room?" asked Erik. He knew there may be the chance that some of the guests may be roaming around.

"Can you?"

"Of course," Erik said. Knowing she could not see, he took her hand and placed it around his arm once more, then began to lead the way. The back secret corridor lightened in a few areas from cracks in the walls, but for the most part, it was still very dark and Erik could feel Laurette nervously tighten her hand on his arm again.

"How is it that you can see anything?"

"I have lived in darkness most of my life. How could I not?"

"Oh, yes. Sorry," said Laurette in what he noticed as somewhat of an awkward tone. "It is just that I cannot see anything. In fact…" Laurette slowed in her pace. "Are there…are there…"

"Are there what?" asked Erik.

"Well… are there mice and rats around here?"

"Yes, you have to be _very_ careful not to step on them."

Laurette froze.

"I was only jesting," he said trying to hold back his laughter.

"That was _not_ funny," said Laurette in a serious tone.

"Yes it was," said Erik laughing, unable to contain himself. He finally heard her give a slight laugh as well and then she lightly hit him on the arm.

"But there _are_ mice around here, yes?"

"Of course," replied Erik, "But I assure you, they are generally more frightened of anything coming toward them. And they usually do not tend to be near here. They are no doubt closer to the kitchen where the food is for the ball tonight."

"Yes, I guess that would be true," Erik heard her say with a breath of relief. He had to stifle a chuckle as he remembered how fond La Carlotta was of mice and rats. As the diva was so cruel to Christine, Erik could not help but play a trick on her by using a few of them much to her surprise that quickly climbed all over her. She most likely never recovered.

"Here," Erik said turning a corner. And then he saw the large mirror to her bedroom, the light filtering through. They came upon it and Laurette looked through the mirror at her room.

"This is my room," she said.

"Yes," said Erik with the realization that it was now dawning on her about the secret mirror. Perhaps he should have gone a different way to enter the outer door of her suite. But then with so many guests around the opera house, it would be difficult not to be seen.

"And…," Laurette hesitated. "Do you come here often?"

"I assure you, I am the perfect gentleman. I have not been around this area since your arrival until you invited me this evening," Erik said, hoping that she did believe him.

Laurette eyed him carefully, apparently still somewhat unsure of his response. But then she looked at the mirror into her room. "So…how do you open it?"

Erik tilted his head at her, tapped on the mirror and it opened. He knew full well that she would never be able to open it. The mirror was extremely sensitive and could only be touched in a particular area to do so. Even then, it took a specific amount of pressure only known to Erik.

With the mirror now opened, Laurette smiled at him. She lifted the skirt of her dress and stepped into her room. Erik followed with the mirror closing behind him. Laurette was looking around her room still incredulous that she was there. She turned around to face Erik, still smiling. He untied the decorative mask she had given him and handed it to her. She laughed slightly, most likely because it made no difference as he was still wearing a mask. She accepted it, looking down.

Then she looked up at him and very suddenly came forward. Before he could even react, she embraced him, her arms around his neck and her head against his chest. Erik stiffened in response.

"Thank you so much for helping me tonight, for everything you have done," Laurette said softly, still hugging him.

She was so petite in size that Erik could rest his chin on top of her head. Her hair gave off the scent of flowers when he breathed in. Her entire body against his was warm and soft. He hesitantly placed his arms around her, returning the embrace.

"You are welcome," said Erik quietly, still somewhat overtaken by this moment.

Laurette very slowly started to release him, her head pulling away. But then her eyes met his. Captured by her soft blue eyes this close, Erik did not turn away like he usually did. Something was suddenly very different.

And then she reached up and kissed him.

Erik had _never_ experienced a kiss such as this. Christine had kissed him once, but although that memory was burned in his mind, she did it more out of pity and sadness then anything else. Laurette's kiss was frighteningly wonderful. Her mouth was warm and firm, yet soft. It was indeed the sweetest physical thing he had ever tasted.

He returned her kiss suddenly with more intensity and she did not refuse him. Erik realized his heart was beating fiercely, but he yielded into the temptation and it seemed she was softening even more against him. Her hands were touching the back of his neck while he let his arms encircle her more tightly, his own body beginning to feel heavier, an aching feeling was beginning to…_NO!_

Erik pulled away from her so suddenly that Laurette almost fell. He backed away from her, nearing the mirror. Erik could barely look at her, but he knew she was in shock from his quick withdrawal.

This could not be. He did not love her. Only Christine had his heart. He was suddenly angry at Laurette for allowing this to happen, ruining their professional relationship. Everything suddenly felt lost to Erik, his happiness to be a part of the opera world now gone. It would _never_ be the same.

"Erik…," she said to him.

"I think it is time for me to take my leave," Erik said stiffly, still not looking at her. "Good night."

Turning, he tapped the mirror and walked through. Finally alone, he closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He would never be able to forget the sweetness of such a kiss. Erik could hear Laurette softly crying, but he did not look back through the mirror. He walked down the corridor and then descended the stairs.

As he neared his home, Erik stopped when he saw blood on the ground. Looking up, he saw the back of a man hanging in the air against a board. Several spears had pierced the man's body, literally nailing him to the spring board trap.

Erik shook his head. On top of everything else that he had gone through tonight and now this. Erik could not tell who the man was until he released him from the bloody trap, but coldly, he did not care. He proceeded past the hanging body to his home by the underground lake. It had indeed been a very long evening.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

When Erik awoke the next morning he hoped everything that happened the night before was only a dream. Sadly it was not as when he emerged from his room, he saw the body still hanging from the trap. Walking over to it, he brutally pulled on the body until the spears cam out, the body falling to the ground. Breathing heavily from such a feat, Erik stepped forward to look at the man's face. It was Pierre Allard, the man he met at the ball with the plump wife. Charlotte he thought was her name.

_What in the hell was he doing down here_? thought Erik. He remembered that Laurette had met this man previously at the ball on opening night, which may have meant Monsieur Garier introduced them.

Dead, Monsieur Allard was now covered with blood. It had been most likely an extremely painful death. The spears stabbed through him in multiple areas, but none of them penetrated his heart. As a result, he most likely hung there for some time until he bled to death.

Erik gave a deep sigh. This would not be an easy murder to hide. No doubt his wife would be wondering where he was. Erik thought that maybe he should just bury the man, letting no one find him. Monsieur Allard would be a mystery as someone who just disappeared. But at the same time, Erik was worried if anyone else knew Monsieur Allard was going down below the opera house. With him missing, others may come down to try and look for him. Erik knew what he had to do and dragged the body to an upper level in one of the secret back corridors. He would return later in the night to finish.

Erik heard music and realized the cast was most likely practicing yet again for tonight's performance. But he turned and crept back down below. His heart heavy with sadness, Erik felt he was now done with his participation in the productions. He would now return to his quiet life, finishing his music.

He returned in the dark early morning hours to the corridor where the body lay. Erik went out a secret exit into the streets until he finally reached the area he wanted. He finished his task and returned to the opera house.

For two days, Erik stayed below. He did not attend Saturday night's performance although he could hear it. The music was distracting enough that he did stop to listen and was irritatingly pleased that he heard improvement.

While he was glad for the Company, Erik was still angry at Laurette for what she had done. That kiss, so warm and sweet, was now burned into his mind. It was nothing but physical attraction and he would never be able to lose that memory. Their professional collaboration was now gone.

But Erik found that he was having trouble returning to his quiet way of life. Although he did work on some of his music, Erik found it hard not to wonder about the cast and how they were doing. Worse, how Laurette was doing.

On the third day, Erik finally gave in and climbed up to the opera house during a rehearsal. He seated himself in box 5 and watched as the cast was now moving about more easily in the scene where the followers had rebelled. In fact, they were doing quite well. Whatever Laurette had done or said to them was obviously working. And then he saw Laurette.

She came up on the stage and talked with Gautier. But she was so quiet that he could not hear what she was saying. Laurette appeared quite serious and she was once again dressed fairly plainly, wearing a buttoned down white blouse with a skirt that was actually a very pretty pink color even though it was not elaborate in any way. He watched as she moved about the cast, talking to them. But her expression did not change. Even when Andre and Justine were joking around, she remained impassive when it would usually amuse her.

Not that Laurette was cold to the cast. She still appeared encouraging, nodding her head a few times when the cast was trying to improve. As usual, she focused on each success they had, giving them confidence to do better. But it was obvious that even they noticed something was wrong. Erik saw much of the cast glancing at her during their private conversations. The women today seemed even more talkative than usual. But because most of their words were in whispers, Erik could not hear them either. He could walk above on the catwalks to listen closer, but he refrained from doing so.

Erik's mind was now once again going in circles. He hated seeing Laurette in her current demeanor. But he could not return her affection as it was wrong. He had thought of taking advantage of the situation. He could use her for the physical affection he had so badly wanted from Christine…what any normal man would want. But Erik was in no way a _normal_ man.

Alone for so many years, he craved the attention and receiving a taste only made him feel as if he had gone mad. The last time he had such feelings, his rage caused so much pain not only to himself but others, especially when Christine refused him for another man. And somewhere, deep within, he had something of a heart. He truly did not want to cause further pain to anyone, especially Laurette.

However, Erik realized that he could not take his eyes off of her, studying her face and every move she made. He was not even paying much attention to the production as the Company rehearsed. He no longer seemed to care as much about the performance. All Erik could think about was Laurette and how she must be feeling.

A break was called from rehearsal and the cast dispersed momentarily. Laurette, as usual, did not leave the stage. Justine had also stayed behind and he walked up behind Laurette, and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and looked up at him, no real expression on her face. Justine leaned down and whispered something to her. Laurette quite suddenly flashed a breathtaking smile and Erik felt his heart skip in reaction.

_Oh God, he DID love her_.

Why? Why did he feel this way? Was it not only physical attraction? But his thoughts were only to make her happy. But why should he care? She argued with everything sometimes, aggravating him greatly. But he strangely realized he would even miss her arguments with him. He thought of nothing but her. His heart felt heavy now. He did in fact love her.

Erik felt horrible through the rest of the rehearsal, his mind trying to find any other way to justify that his feelings were not love, that he was only confused. But sadly, he could not find a reason. Even if Laurette never kissed him again, Erik still wanted to be with her…always. He was once again tortured and now angry at himself for letting this happen.

Erik could not live with himself if he hurt Laurette. She deserved so much more than he could give. He had realized the symbol of ultimate love for Christine was allowing the other man she loved to live even though it devastated him. He could do no less for Laurette. Erik decided the best action was to make amends with Laurette, even if only on a professional basis, but to let her go.

She no doubt regretted her advances toward him the other night. It was most likely due to her being so caught up in the accomplishment of the performance. It was nothing more than the excitement of the evening that caused such a thing. She most likely already realized that there was no future in such a relationship with him. Erik's chest tightened at the thought of Laurette with any other man, but he had done this before. He would do it again for her happiness and take satisfaction in the knowledge that she would be well taken care of by someone else.

When rehearsal was finished, Erik waited long after the Company had left; still trying to make certain this was the right decision. He finally slowly walked to the Music Room and saw she was there, sitting at the piano. But then Monsieur Garier walked right up behind her.

"So, Les Troyens will be the next production. We will alternate the last two shows for the next month and lead up to the grand finale event of a new production."

_Of course_, thought Erik sarcastically.

"And so help you if I discover any further unexpected visits from important guests. Should Monsieur Michel Rosseau call upon you again, I expect to know immediately," continued Monsieur Garier. "I know of a few other women that had shown an interest in him. They can distract his attention from you quite easily."

Erik was shocked by this. Other women interested in him from the ball? That was not possible. Even if it was true, it angered Erik that Monsieur Garier would even make such a decision for her. Monsieur Garier's intent was still to eventually call upon her at his convenience. Laurette said nothing, her face not showing any expression.

"Do I make myself clear?" asked Monsieur Garier in a loud booming voice. Laurette looked up at him.

"Of course Monsieur," she replied quietly. He glared at her once more and turned on his heel, leaving the room. Laurette slowly picked up the first music sheet of Les Troyens looking at it and laid it back down, her gaze falling to the piano keys.

Erik swallowed hard. He could still avoid this and go back to his quiet life. But he now had no desire to do so. And if he truly did love Laurette, then it was his responsibility to correct the situation. And should she have any chance with another man, Erik had to make sure there was some way for her to be released from Monsieur Garier's grasp. He tapped the mirror and stepped into the room.

"I can help you with that."

Laurette looked up sharply, surprised at his voice. She awkwardly glanced away, looking down. He slowly walked to the side of the piano, giving her time to gather her thoughts. No doubt she would now regret the moment between them the other night, especially with a new production in which he would hope she wanted his assistance. He figured the subject would be ignored and they would try and continue their work. But he was wrong.

"I apologize for the other night," she said softly not looking at him. Erik looked away from her, not wanting to discuss the subject. He was right that she regretted her action. But to his surprise, she suddenly laughed quietly. "No, I cannot apologize. I have never lied to you Erik. And I would be lying now if I said that I did not want it to happen."

This completely took Erik off guard and although his head was still turned away, his eyes shifted towards her.

"Until I began to work with you…I did not know how alone I really was," Laurette said with a tremble in her voice. "I did not believe I needed anyone. And you became my constant companion, listening to the successes and failures. You experienced everything right with me. I could share anything with you. And even if we disagreed, we came up with some brilliant ideas out of our arguments."

She now looked up at him but Erik still did not turn his head. Laurette was quiet for a few moments which seemed an eternity to Erik, and he felt his emotions all beginning to swell once more.

She tilted her head back down again. "No matter what my feelings, I will put them aside," she said softly, her voice still trembling. She stood up, looking at him. "Because having you in my life is more important to me than anything…and that is all that matters."

Erik was clenching his fists. All his emotions washed over him at once and he was overcome with pain from his loneliness these last few years, the rejection from Christine. Erik was aching badly and it was weakening him. He finally turned his head to look at her. Laurette's eyes were filled with tears, but she held them back with a look of determination that she meant what she had just said. She would carry on their professional relationship despite her feelings.

Suddenly, before he could even think to stop himself, Erik strode over to her and kissed her with such intensity that he had to hold Laurette to keep her from falling. Once again Erik was helpless in the sweetness he tasted from such a passionate kiss. He savored the warmth softness of her lips against his, suddenly not caring about any of his previous thoughts. He had given in. Erik only wanted her to be with him, no one else. He felt Laurette trembling and ended the kiss letting out a deep breath, his forehead against hers.

"I am sorry," Erik said raggedly, still breathing hard.

Laurette said nothing and when he pulled away slightly to look at her he realized she was now crying. He had completely confused her emotions and Erik grew worried when she swayed slightly as he realized he was still holding her to keep her from falling. He noticed she looked extremely tired.

"You haven't slept at all have you?" asked Erik in a grave tone to her. She said nothing, still weakly trying to stand, her eyes looking at him through her tears. "Come," he said. And he led her through the secret mirror. He was tempted for a moment to turn a different direction, to take Laurette where he really wanted. But he pushed aside these selfish thoughts that could once more turn to madness. He led her down the corridor in the darkness to her suite. He stepped inside her room and led Laurette over to her bed.

"Lay down," Erik said in a soothing voice to her as he pulled back the covers. She seemed too weak to argue and did as he said. Even though she still wore her dress, Erik figured she could change later after she had slept. The room was cold and he pulled the covers over her. But she suddenly grabbed his wrist. He froze for a moment, and looked at her.

"Laurette," Erik said quietly, "I cannot…I cannot give you what a normal man can." To his surprise she sat up and placed her hand on the cheek of his mask.

"You have given me _more_ than any normal man ever could," she said to him, looking into his eyes. Erik held his breath for a moment, looking at her. Unable to resist with her so close to him, Erik kissed her and was lost again in such sweetness. The kiss was beginning to turn more passionate and Erik felt once more his heart racing, his body aching for her. He softly broke away from her.

"I believe it is time for me to leave," he said, still breathless. He prayed she would let him go. If they went any further, Erik would not be able to stop, even if she wanted him to. Thankfully, she made no argument and gave a weak smile. She lay back down on the bed and Erik pulled the covers over her. He touched her face softly with his hand, still longing for yet another kiss. Instead, Erik leaned down, kissed her forehead, and slowly stood up. He watched as her eyes began to close as sleep overcame her. He remained there, watching her as she slept, still in shock over what had just happened.

Then he quietly left the room.

The next morning Erik arrived early in the Music Room, knowing full well Laurette would be there before rehearsal. He was somewhat nervous yet exhilarated with their encounter the previous evening. Erik's heart constricted however, as he knew Laurette may very well still regret her actions. And what would happen when she finally asked to see his face? It was only a matter of time just as Christine did. Still, Christine had never really wanted him romantically and Laurette did. He was still incredulous on how the situation happened. One moment he had resolved to let her go, the next he was kissing her. Erik shook his head sighing. He was very tired of his thinking and emotion. Why could life not be simple? But there was no simplicity for him, not with his face and his past. Erik was a very complicated lost soul.

The door opened and Erik hid slightly behind one of the columns in the room. But he saw it was Laurette and so he emerged, walking over to the piano. Laurette looked up at him, but she did not smile as usual. Had she changed her mind?

"What is wrong?" Erik asked expecting the worst. Laurette had stopped walking and was still quite far from him. Erik grew tense as he felt angry again at himself for caring so much about the situation. But he could not help feeling worried about being rejected once more.

"Monsieur Garier has hired a guest opera soloist for the main role," Laurette said softly looking at a letter in her hands.

"Really?" asked Erik who was amazed that Monsieur Garier had made this decision. "Who is it?"

Laurette looked at him and hesitated. She looked somberly back down at the letter. She slowly raised her head up to him and took a few steps forward. "Countess Christine de Chagny," she replied softly still looking at him.

Erik could not breathe for a moment. But he knew Laurette was watching him carefully, no doubt wondering if he would once again be overcome with his love for Christine. And he could not deny that there was yet a part of him that still did in fact love her.

"Well," Erik said trying hard to maintain his composure, "at least Monsieur Garier will certainly not need to be concerned about selling out the theater."

"That is true," said Laurette quietly, still standing rather far from him. Erik wished she would come closer. He would show her that there was nothing to worry about. Christine was certainly on his mind and he could not wait to hear her voice again. But he still loved Laurette. But maybe she had changed her mind.

"Is there something else wrong?" he asked softly hoping she would say what was on her mind. She said nothing and looked away. "Laurette?"

"Christine will sell out the theater…," Laurette finally looking up at him, her eyes now fearful. She finally took a breath. "She will draw a crowd, but…well…not because of her voice."

"What?"

"She cannot sing," Laurette said quietly.

"What do you mean she cannot sing?" asked Erik still confused. Was Christine sick? Had Monsieur Garier already sold the seats due to her name and now she could not perform?

"She no longer _can_ sing. The audience will flock to her performance more because…because of their interest in her social life. Christine is the topic of conversation in regards to everything when she is a guest in any city," said Laurette. "Over the last few years she slowly stopped performing regularly. She began refusing to rehearse even when she did agree to sing. Christine has…changed. She is now truly a diva in society. Her voice…it is no longer the sweet but powerful melodic tone once known."

"Christine Daee is _the_ greatest singer this world has ever known," said Erik angrily with an icy tone. How dare she insult Christine in such a jealous manner! "I am sure she has changed in commanding a great deal of respect than she used to. No doubt all have now heard what sounds from heaven are made as Christine is music itself. You have no right for such criticism Laurette."

She stood there before him looking hurt but Erik did not care. She was wrong.

"Then come to rehearsal today," Laurette said in a suddenly harsh tone to him, "_if_ she shows." She turned and walked out of the room, loudly slamming the door behind her. Erik was completely at a loss. What had happened?

He went back down below to wait for rehearsal. Erik tried to work on his music, but all he could do was pace. Christine did not know he still even lived. She thought he was dead. How would she react when she arrived at this opera house, so full of memories of him?

Finally, the hour came and Erik eagerly went to box 5. But Christine was not there. Laurette began to review the story of the new production with the cast. They once again sat as a group on stage listening to her intently. Erik grew impatient. Would Christine not come for rehearsal? Was Laurette right?

The back theater doors opened and several people came down the aisle, most appeared to be servants that followed an elaborately dressed woman. And then Erik realized it was Christine. He did not recognize her as she appeared completely different. No longer did the young innocent girl Erik knew appear before him. Instead there was a woman lavishly dressed, adorned with an enormous amount of various jewelry. Her blonde hair was tightly up, the small curls and ringlets Erik saw so many of the women wear. Christine's dress was also elaborate that was a pale yellow made of what appeared to be silk. It had a low cut neckline with a large broach and an elaborate sweeping train that made her entrance even more formal. She still had a beautiful face, but it appeared harsh and she offered no smile when she saw Laurette. One of the servants approached her with a fan and Erik watched as Christine took it and dismissed the woman without as much as a thank you.

Slowly waving the fan in front of her, Christine was helped up onto the stage and walked over to Laurette. The cast was silent, still sitting on the stage. Christine was several years younger than Laurette, but her youth no longer seem to enhance her features with her glamorous style now. Standing before Laurette, Christine was by far taller than her. She looked over at the cast sitting on the stage.

"Does your cast not have any manners?" asked Christine. "Do I not deserve the common courtesy of them standing for an introduction?" Erik saw Justine scowl, but Laurette turned and motioned for the cast to stand. They did as she asked and Laurette turned back to Christine.

"So," said Christine in what Erik thought was a rather cold voice, "you are the woman director I continue to hear about. I have never taken any direction from a woman and I am not confident that you have the skills of a man."

Erik was incredulous to hear Christine say such a thing. Where was the sweet girl he once knew?

"But of course I have agreed to do this performance and so I shall to please those who have asked. However I assure you, Madame Duprey that it will be I who take the full credit for this performance. Is that understood?"

"Of course Mademoiselle," said Laurette calmly.

"_Countess_," said Christine in a harsh tone to Laurette.

"Of course Countess," replied Laurette calmly again, though Erik saw her posture grow tense at this introduction.

"Now, as I am of course singing the role of Cassandra, who is Aeneas," asked Christine. Laurette nodded at Justine who stepped forward.

"This is Justine," said Laurette to Christine.

"Justine…," Christine's face looked expectedly at Laurette.

"Roy…Justine Roy," said Justine.

"I do not know any family background from Roy," said Christine in a rather degrading tone to Justine. Erik watched as Justine clenched his fists but Laurette looked sternly at him and so he said nothing.

"Justine is very talented," said Laurette. "He is our leading vocalist and has risen fast despite his few years of experience in the opera world."

"I cannot believe I am working with amatuers. A few years? Please, I expect an experienced cast," said Christine looking down at Laurette. Justine tightened his jaw.

"This is a very talented cast. The critics have been impressed with their performances as I am sure you will also appreciate such natural talent," Laurette replied with a hint of Christine's past life who also knew nothing of opera. In response, Christine frowned.

"I can now see that my purpose here is to carry this production. How my husband was talked into making me perform here is beyond my understanding."

Erik winced at her words. She obviously had no desire to return to this opera house. It did not bring back any beautiful feelings or thoughts to her. Christine treated it as if she were in just any opera house.

_She has not even stopped for a moment to look up at box 5, even out of memory_, Erik thought bitterly. He watched as Laurette moved the cast aside from the stage. Taking Justine by the hand, Laurette led him to where Christine stood in the center. Christine, in her early twenties, was still younger than Justine who was but only a few years older. He was slightly taller as he stood next to her. Christine did not even look at him.

They began to rehearse the first duet between them. While Laurette usually liked to rehearse scenes for the first time in order, she apparently had decided to make an exception with Christine present. Gautier sang the first few verses while Christine rolled her eyes; obviously bored and unbelieving that she had to stand there while a young tenor had to learn a song to a common opera. But Justine picked the song up quickly, his musical instinct taking over. When it was time for Christine's entrance, Erik leaned forward to listen.

She sang terribly. Her melodic tone was now overdone and forceful. Christine sang the part rather over exaggerated, her voice somewhat harsh in texture. Erik's heart sank with sadness. Laurette had been right. Christine was no longer the musical angel he knew. In place stood a glamorous, arrogant diva. How could this have happened? Erik grew angry as he realized the only person responsible for her demise was the man who was now her husband. Most likely neglected, Christine had now turned to materialistic items for happiness and had forgotten the beauty of music. Erik now regretted his decision not to kill the man.

Christine had stopped singing half way through the song. Apparently she was not feeling well and her servants rushed to her attention. It was Justine's turn now to roll his eyes as they carefully led Christine off the stage. Obviously she was now done with rehearsal for the day. Laurette stood silently on the stage, watching her leave. Then she slowly turned her head and looked up at box 5, but Erik leaned back into the darkness behind the curtain so she could not see him.

Laurette dismissed the company as this time they had by far a large amount of time to prepare for this production. Disheartened, Erik quietly made his way to the Music Room. He entered the room and walked slowly over to the piano. His long, slender fingers brushed over the top of the keys, caressing them as he saw Laurette had done. She understood the feeling of music to his very soul. He slowly sat down on the bench, still looking at the keys.

The door opened and he knew it was Laurette, but Erik did not look up at her. She closed the door quietly and walked over, stopping a few steps from the piano. He said nothing and did not want her to say anything in regards to what was now he realized the truth about Christine.

"I am sorry," Laurette said very softly. Erik just shook his head, still unable to look at her. "It may not help, but I thought Christine was the most beautiful singer I had ever heard. And there is little doubt that her training came from a talented teacher."

"You are right, your words do not help," said Erik bitterly.

"There is still music within her," said Laurtte. Silence followed for a few moments. She was trying to comfort him, but Erik knew nothing that would be able to soothe him. He finally looked up at Laurette and saw her concerned face, her eyes softly gazing at him.

"It just feels…," Erik hesitated letting out a deep sigh. "All that I once knew is now gone. Everything has changed."

"All things change," Laurette said in a sympathetic tone.

"Except for me," replied Erik. His face had not changed, his love for music was still the same, and he still lived as an outcast from society.

"Change can be difficult, but there are some changes in life that are for the best. Everything has a purpose."

"And what _possible_ purpose could there be with an angel of music that has now died? _I _should have died before that happened," said Erik angrily.

"We all experience pain in our life, but I would like to think we look to change for better things," said Laurette. Her voice sounded far away, as if she were thinking about something in her past. "I would hope there are _some_ things still worth living for with the change you have experienced in these last few months."

Erik said nothing and looked back down at the piano keys. Somewhat hurt by his lack of response, Laurette slowly turned and walked toward the door. Before she could leave, he finally spoke.

"Laurette…there are some things still worth living for," he said quietly, now looking at her. Erik did not want to lose her, especially now. Laurette turned and slowly gave him a small smile which made him once more conscious of his heart beating. She turned back around and left, closing the door this time quietly.

Christine did not show for the next few rehearsals, her servants claiming that she had taken ill. This was fine for Laurette as she continued to teach the cast the storyline of the new production. In addition, they still had to practice the other two performances as they would be alternating them for the upcoming Friday and Saturday evening shows. But Monsieur Garier's prediction had been correct as far as ticket sales. Erik read in the newspaper that the tickets were completely sold out despite a very substantial increase in price. In addition, numerous people were still seeking to buy tickets at even higher prices from those who had them.

Erik had seen Laurette in the Music Room twice over these last few days since observing Christine. He was still feeling quite at a loss in regards to his student who had not only dismissed him in love, but now music. Laurette sensed this and gave Erik his space, not approaching or even pressuring him in any way to continue his affection for her. Their first discussion of the production was polite and almost hesitant as if both were afraid to hurt the other.

When he finally said good night, she did not approach Erik for a kiss and simply curtsied before leaving. Perhaps it was he who should approach her to do such a thing. But he also knew she was still giving him time as he had painfully become aware of Christine's lost musical talent and spirit. Erik was tortured by this, as if someone had taken a part of him away. He felt badly that he was neglecting Laurette with their relationship, but things seemed too formal, almost awkward with her.

But now, during their second discussion of Les Troyens, Laurette was acting rather difficult, irritated by having to work around Christine. It was a sore subject also for Erik as they had to contemplate Christine's lack of vocal range for the leading role. They finally settled on a particular key, hoping she would be able to perform it the best she could. But Erik sensed that Laurette was still agitated.

"We should change the music to a b-flat minor range during this section as it will enhance the transition of the mood into darkness," said Erik. He was seated at the piano while Laurette somewhat paced, once again playing with the ends of her curls.

"Yes, I agree," she simply replied. There was something definitely wrong with her. Erik knew it was Christine but did not want to discuss the subject.

"Good. It will have a precise, controlled style that will complete the transition in the scene with Justine."

Laurette nodded.

"What if the trumpets change timbre, becoming more visible in this section?" asked Erik pointing to another page.

"Fine," Laurette said.

Irritated by her lack of contribution, he sat up straight looking at her.

"What is wrong?" demanded Erik though he still did not want to discuss Christine. Laurette stopped pacing and faced him.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked.

"Of course," Erik lied. He did not want to hear any opinion about the lead soprano and lack of talent they were working with.

"I _hate_ Berlioz."

"Do you?" asked Erik surprised at her remark. This was not in the fact the comment he had been expecting.

"Yes. I hate the entire performance. It is too serious with little love. The only thing Hector Berlioz seems to have loved was dark stories."

"And La Muette de Portici is not?"

"That story dealt with the sacrifice for love, it was different."

"I see," said Erik. Interesting, this was not what he had anticipated from Laurette.

"I suppose you love Berlioz."

"He is not one of my favorites, but I do appreciate such articulation of raw emotion with the music. Even you must admit that he did this well," said Erik.

"Yes, that is true," Laurette said sighing, and she suddenly sat down next to him. Erik had not been this close to her since the last time they had kissed and he was extremely conscious now of her mouth. He very suddenly had the desire to kiss her once more.

"I am just having difficulty being creative when I dislike an opera such as this so much. It also most likely has to do with the fact that I saw this opera repeatedly performed under my stepfather. It is so traditional and…_boring_."

Erik could not help but smile. Here once again was the Laurette he loved, wanting everything to be unique and different. She had a great deal of spirit and he could see how a composer such as Berlioz dampened it.

"What?" Laurette asked looking up at him when Erik said nothing.

"It is just that...I cannot help but think that _you_ are so unique, a quality that I love," Erik said quietly.

There, he said it. He was extremely pleased as she rewarded him with a blushing smile. He took advantage of this and bent down to kiss her. Laurette gave no resistance and gave him quite a slow, sensual kiss. His chest was feeling heavy and Erik once again felt the familiar ache he was physically having for her. Trying to regain control, Erik stopped and looked away.

"Have I done something wrong?" she asked in a concerned voice.

Erik could not help but laugh. "No," he said, standing up. He needed to put some physical distance between them for his own sanity. Erik walked over to one of the

columns and turned to face her. "I just…we need to take one step at a time," he said breathlessly. Erik worried that he was already dangerously close to his own raw emotions and he did not want to hurt her.

"Of course," Laurette said quietly looking at him. "But Erik…" She suddenly stood up and walked right up to him. As he was against the column, Erik could not back away. "This _is _in factone step at a time," she said softly. Standing almost on tiptoe, she reached up and kissed him again, her arms encircling around his neck.

_Oh God. _Erik was once again overtaken and lost from the kiss. He could not help himself and placed his hands on the sides of her face. Erik was extremely conscious of her soft body against his and now he wanted more. But he restrained himself and broke away from her. He gently pushed her back slightly, but held both of her hands.

"I believe for me," he said trying to catch his breath, "_half_ steps are better."

Laurette gave a small laugh, her smile still penetrating Erik's heart. But thankfully, she respected his wishes, slowly turned away, and walked back over to the piano. She sat down at the bench, once again looking at the music.

Now Erik breathed a sigh of relief even though he still felt every inch of him throbbing for more. But he had to take this as slow as possible for her sake. However, her forward nature with affection made him wonder who she had been with previously. She certainly seemed somewhat experienced, at least with kissing anyway. Was Michel Rosseau her past love? He did not think she had ever been married. No matter, Erik focused his attention back onto the production.

"Perhaps we should try something different. What if we were to rewrite some of Act Two?" asked Erik, knowing this would please her.

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

Laurette gave a wide, beautiful smile to him and she quickly pulled out the music. Now more composed with the exception of his heart that was still soaring, Erik walked over and stood at the piano.

They talked until midnight, their creative minds working very well together for the rest of the evening. And when he finally said goodnight, Erik gave her a soft, gentle kiss. After he released her, Laurette placed her hand on the cheek of his mask, smiling. How he wish he could feel her soft hands. But this was more than enough. His heart was still fearful of being broken once more, but rejuvenated none the less. Erik watched her leave and then retired for the evening. He knew his heart was now lost to her and he felt helpless. But if anyone could save his soul, it was her.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Erik cringed as he worked on transposing more of the music. He was seated in Box 5 once more, listening with sorrow to Christine's voice. He even thought of leaving as the rehearsal was depressing him so much. But Erik looked at Laurette and knew he had to be here for her. She wanted his help and Erik would do anything, even listen to an angel that had fallen.

Christine had suddenly stopped singing and sharply turned to Justine. "You must stand slightly behind me, not _beside_ me. Honestly, can you not do as I have instructed? I already said it once before! Now stand back!"

"Only if my director tells me to do so," replied Justine angrily in a low tone. Laurette, who was standing to the side, gave Justine a harsh look. She no doubt did not need any further complications to enrage Christine.

In fact, Erik witnessed Christine having a number of tantrums during the rehearsal. She refused to listen or take any direction from Laurette. In response, Laurette creatively directed the cast to work around her. As long as Christine was in the center or front of the stage, Laurette found ways to enhance the look and feel of the scenes. She still expected only the best from them. Even when Christine would become impatient, Laurette still took the time to work on the singing from the chorus. She gave Christine no special treatment which only bolstered the Company's feelings and dedication to her as a director. Unfortunately, Christine viewed this as a lack of respect from the cast and Laurette which only made her even more infuriated.

"Why do you insist on only taking direction from her?" asked Christine to Justine. "I have performed this opera countless times."

"Because," said Justine, "I only take direction from someone with talent."

"_Justine_!" Laurette said in a sharp voice. She had stepped forward, an angry look on her face.

"That is enough!" said Christine. "I want him out of this role!"

"Fine!" snapped Justine and began to storm off the stage. But he stopped when he glanced at Laurette who was now looking at him with a pleading expression. Erik knew she had to retain Justine if this production was going to be successful.

It worked. Justine's reaction clearly showed that he could not bear to disappoint Laurette. He composed himself, then quietly walked back and stood slightly behind Christine on center stage.

"Who said you could return?" demanded Christine.

Justine looked at Laurette and drew a deep breath. "Forgive me, Countess. It is clear that you are the leading role. I see now that I was only angry as I wanted that distinction. I realize even if it is hard for me, that I am honored to work with such a known star." Erik could not believe his ears as Justine even said this with a sincere tone. He was truly taken with Laurette despite his ego and he was rewarded with a smile from her.

"Oh for God's sake, very well," replied Christine.

They began the song once more. Erik did his best to ignore the performance. As this particular part in the song did not use the chorus, he put forth effort into his creative thoughts to change other areas. But once again he cringed as Christine sang off key in one of the lyrics that was to be much higher in range. Laurette stopped the music.

"Please, if you could try to sing up one octave, it would…enhance the song," said Laurette obviously selecting her words carefully. But Christine scoffed at her.

"You are not the composer. I believe it should be done correctly. I have heard from many how you often change a production. You have little respect for those who originally wrote the score." Erik looked worriedly at Laurette as he could see Christine was beginning to wear on her patience. Justine stood there rolling his eyes. At least now he was behind Christine so that she did not notice him.

"You are right," said Laurette trying to keep calm with her voice. "Let us continue once more." She motioned to the conductor and the orchestra began to play. But once again Christine sang terribly out of tune with the music. Laurette stopped the conductor.

"What is it now?" asked Christine angrily looking at Laurette.

"Your voice would blend much better with the music if you sang just slightly higher," said Laurette as nice as she could. But Erik saw that Christine was not going to take any constructive criticism, especially from Laurette.

"I have already told you that I know you are trying to change the original composer's intent. I can hear how you have changed the key. If you continue to destroy such a well written score, then perhaps I should reconsider if my presence should be here. I do not want any part in paying a lack of respect to the composer, especially from a woman who thinks she can pretend to direct."

Laurette glared at her. Erik knew this was it. She had enough of Christine.

"Berlioz wrote the song _two octaves_ higher. I have changed it so you would only have to sing one!" Now Laurette had admitted in front of everyone that the song was rewritten as she was actually trying to work with Christine's failed voice.

Highly insulted, Christine walked straight up to Laurette. The cast standing around on the stage, took a few steps back, unsure who was going to win this battle of anger that was now building between the two.

"Are you trying to portray that I cannot sing?" Christine said in a low voice. "What a scandalous story that would be. The female director degrades a famous opera star just to get the publicity she needs."

Erik was so angry at Christine's words that it took all his willpower to stay seated. It was unbearable to him that she was so immature and aloof. He grew furious at the fact that of all people, she would say such a thing. Erik had worked so hard to grow Christine's talent, to make her into the star she wanted to be. It was no easy task and Christine faced an enormous amount of challenges to get there. And now she had absolutely no appreciation as to what Laurette had similarly faced in becoming a director. Christine was as bad as La Carlotta who was by far her worst enemy during her struggle to be in a leading role.

Laurette said nothing, her eyes now gazing down onto the stage. Erik knew that she was now trying very hard to recompose herself. She was most likely regretting her sharp comment to Christine. Worse, Monsieur Garier had suddenly stopped by with a colleague and now looked questioningly at Laurette in seeing this exchange.

Christine raised her head up high. "I will make a deal with you," said Christine with a smirk. "If _you_ can sing the section two octaves higher, then I will do whatever you ask me to do."

Laurette lifted her eyes to Christine with what Erik thought was an apprehensive look. He was quite upset at her lack of respect to Laurette that she was demonstrating in front of the Company. He knew Laurette would not be able to sing such a part. She only used Gautier and the piano to play out tunes to the cast. It was purely insulting for Christine to challenge her like this. Laurette was not a singer, she was a director.

"No? I am surprised as you seem to know _so_ much about singing," Christine said mockingly.

Justine looked as if he were ready to hit her from this comment.

"Well then, I guess that means rehearsal is now over for the day." She turned and headed off the stage. Disgusted, Erik turned his head away.

Then suddenly, he heard soft singing, beautiful in texture and tone. Erik slowly turned his head as the singing became stronger.

It was Laurette.

Dumbfounded, Erik watched and listened as she sang the verse perfectly with no music. Her voice reached the very heights to which it was originally written. Erik was frozen with amazement. So was the entire Company for that matter. Justine had a look of pure shock on his face, Dion stepped from the shadows with his mouth open. The rest were all staring at her while Laurette captured the music with her voice beautifully.

Christine had stopped on the side of the stage. She did not turn around at first, but Erik saw a look of shock also upon her face. As Laurette's voice sang to the height of the song, Christine finally turned to face her. Laurette stopped, her voice fading from the note she had been singing. She could have looked triumphantly at Christine, but she did not. Instead, Erik saw Laurette looking at Christine with hope. And for a brief moment he wondered if something had reached her as Christine's face suddenly softened, as if she suddenly remembered where she was. But then her eyes grew cold once more and she turned around, walking quickly off the stage with her servants following.

Laurette looked deeply saddened and closed her eyes, her head bowing. She said nothing to the Company who were all still standing there, looking at her in amazement. Laurette opened her eyes and then brushed past them, walking in the opposite direction from Christine off the stage. Erik quickly got up and made his way to the Music Room.

By the time he got there, Laurette was already furiously pacing the room, both hands nervously twisting the curls of hair on one side. She stopped suddenly when she saw him enter the room, but then continued her pacing once more.

"I could not help myself…I was so angry! Why did I do that? Why? I should have known she would have been more insulted then inspired. How could I have done this?" asked Laurette. She was extremely upset. But Erik could not focus on this as he was still in amazement with what Laurette had just done.

"You can sing," Erik said in an incredulous tone. "Not only that, but you can sing _very_ well." Laurette responded with only a nervous glance at him. "Where did you learn to sing like that?" Erik asked.

"I told you…my stepfather," she paused looking at him nervously, "My stepfather made me fill in for a variety of roles, even the understudy to the major leads." She could not seem to hold his gaze, nor did she appear pleased that he had asked her such a question.

"I have never heard you sing before," said Erik still amazed.

"I…I do not like to sing. I would…I would rather direct."

Erik tilted his head at her curiously. How could she love music but not like to sing? Why would she only rather hear others sing? And why not use such talent when demonstrating songs to the cast? Sometimes he would even sing aloud when he was trying to get an idea across to her during their numerous evenings together. She had only ever played the piano with such melodies or used Gautier to sing during rehearsals. Until now, he had never really thought about this.

Then Erik heard a knock on the door and he quickly disappeared. It was Gautier. He only poked his head through the doorway.

"Monsieur Garier is coming," he said quietly, "And he does not look happy."

Laurette nodded at his warning and Gautier darted away closing the door. Erik stepped back into the room to be with Laurette before Monsieur Garier arrived.

"He will be furious with me," said Laurette as she continued to pace.

"It will be alright," Erik said trying to calm her down. He would be right here watching. He would not let anything happen to her.

"You know it will not," she said, her voice trembling. She had stopped in front of him. Now coming back to the reality of how upset she was, Erik reached out and took her into his arms, embracing her to offer his comfort. She seemed to cling to him and he held her tighter, stroking her soft hair, hoping it would soothe her. He heard voices approaching and she pulled away from him. But Erik held her arms for a moment, looking at her.

"If he even tries to touch you…" He would kill him. Erik could not bring himself to actually say it to her.

"Please," Laurette said to him, "I will be fine. You need to go."

Erik hesitated, unsure if he should release her. Perhaps he should just take Laurette with him, away from all this, even if he had to force her. He shuddered. He was having mad thoughts once again. Erik could not keep Laurette a prisoner if he loved her. This was a lesson already learned with Christine. He released her and disappeared through the mirror.

The door opened and Monsieur Garier strode in, his companion, a man with light brown hair, lingered behind. Instead of backing away from him, Laurette immediately walked over to Monsieur Garier. Bowing before him, she then looked up at him.

"I apologize. It was wrong of me to insult her in such a manner. I will of course, apologize to the Countess."

"You will do no such thing," said Monsieur Garier laughing. Laurette looked at him with surprise as did Erik. "I clearly see the spoiled girl that she has come to be. We do not have the time for such nonsense."

Laurette's face brightened slightly. "I…I am sure that we would be able to have Julia sing the part. I can work with her to take on the role," said Laurette.

"No. I think not." Monsieur Garier gave an evil smile walked a few more steps toward Laurette. "_I have already found my lead singer_."

A look of horror was the only way to describe Laurette's facial expression. She very slowly shook her head. "Oh please Monsieur, no…"

"Oh yes. The director who can also sing. It is too perfect."

"Please…," Erik heard Laurette voice was now in a begging tone, "I cannot."

"You will or I could just shelve the season and start with a new cast next year." Erik gritted his teeth as he knew Monsieur Garier was hitting upon Laurette's weakness. She lowered her head.

"Who will you have direct?" she asked in a whispered voice. Erik knew her heart was breaking because someone else would now take her place.

"Well, you of course," said Monsieur Garier smiling.

"What?" Laurette raised her head up sharply at him.

"Do you honestly believe that I would spend such money to bring someone else in? Why would I do that? No, my dear, I own this Opera House to make a profit. I will introduce you to Paris as the next star, a versatile woman who can direct and sing." He walked over to the piano and turned around. "And I will start by having a number of social gatherings at my home in which you will introduce your voice."

"But your home is far away, Monsieur…how can I travel back and forth so much?"

"Oh, you won't be traveling. You only need to return to the Opera House once in a while of course. You will stay at my estate." If Erik could reach out and strangle Monsieur Garier at this moment, it would be a slow, agonizing death. It took everything in him not to rush into the room to act upon this thought.

"But how… the cast needs me to direct them," Laurette said in a shaky voice.

"You will figure out a way, I am sure. Maybe it is time for that assistant of yours to step up. But I will be generous and let you select a different production if you believe it will help. You have one hour to pack."

"And what else will you ask of me?" asked Laurette suddenly giving him a cold stare. But Erik also saw Laurette's eyes beginning to fill with tears. He could not believe this was happening.

"If you are referring to the favor you still owe me…"

_Owe him? Was singing and directing not enough?_

"Madame Fortrin is presently staying with me so I assure you that I will not be demonstrating any interest in you other then from your talent…or at least until she begins to bore me. One hour," Monsieur Garier said again. He then turned and walked out the door with the other man.

Erik stepped back into the room. Laurette looked up at him. She quickly walked over to him and he once again embraced her. She burst into tears in his arms. He felt completely helpless and did not know what to say.

"Laurette," Erik finally said softly, "you do not have to do what he says." _Please, _he thought He could not bear the thought of her leaving the opera house, especially to stay with Monsieur Garier.

"I hardly think it matters," said Laurette wiping her tears with her hands. "If I am not present to direct, how can the Company perform? It will fail."

Erik closed his eyes, continuing to hold her. He knew she was right. Gautier would not be able to do this by himself, even if Laurette selected an easy production. He was simply too inexperienced. Now Erik understood why Laurette did not want to sing. She knew Monsieur Garier would hear such a beautiful voice and think of something as ridiculous as this.

"I wish I could help somehow," Erik said softly. Then she suddenly pulled away from him, her eyes looking at him intently.

"You could do it."

If Erik did not have a mask on, now it would be his turn to reflect a look of horror upon his face. And he thought Monsieur Garier's idea was ridiculous! This was completely out of bounds. Staring at her, he very slowly shook his head.

"No…"

"You have said it yourself; they are completely loyal to me. They would do this. They would understand it is the only way if they want the Company to succeed."

"No…"

"Please Erik. For five years a Company kept me a secret under my stepfather. It is possible."

"That was hardly the same. It was known that you still assisted him," said Erik in a low voice.

"But Gautier will be here. Everyone will believe that he is taking the leading role in directing with me somehow communicating with him. They will do this Erik." He continued looking at her, shocked by this.

"Although this is an extremely small company, there are still at least one hundred and fifty people Laurette! There is no way so many can keep a secret such as this."

"My stepfather's Company had three hundred members and they did it for five years!"

_Good God_, she had an argument for everything. "Laurette, no," said Erik. His heart was breaking as he did not want to refuse her. But this was not something he could possibly do.

"_Please_…," said Laurette now looking at him with tears streaming down her face.

_Damn_, he swore at himself. _Forget this, just take her with you down below, _said a voice in his head_. She will understand, she will still love you…and you can kill Monsieur Garier_. But sadly Erik found he could not listen to the voice. He loved Laurette and would do anything for her, even if it now meant his life.

"Alright," he suddenly said to her. Her eyes grew wide as she was incredulous that her pleading with him actually worked. She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the Music Room.

"Laurette, stop," said Erik hoarsely as she continued to drag him into the open hallways.

"We do not have much time, it has to be now," Laurette said in a shaking voice. He could have easily stopped walking as she was so small in size compared to him, but he continued to let her pull him along. His heart was racing. This would be the death of him for sure this time.

She ducked with him between the backstage multiple curtains. Erik heard voices and he knew the cast was still waiting for her. She let go of his hand, leaving him hiding and strode onto the stage. Justine walked straight up to her, but Laurette waved him back. She motioned to Gautier and he called everyone together.

"Is everyone here? _Everyon_e," asked Laurette in a serious voice.

"Yes Madame," said Dion. We all knew the Countess would finally be here today to rehearse. None of us wanted to miss such a rehearsal."

"And have you ever known any of us to miss a rehearsal?" asked Justine now grinning. "And now we all know what a beautiful voice you have." All the Company including conductor and musicians were nodding and smiling when Justine said this. But Laurette was not smiling.

"Yes, well as a result of my disrespect to the Countess, Monsieur Garier has decided to use me for the main role," Laurette said. Erik could not help but hear the bitter tone in her voice. The cast murmured among themselves. Armond approached, with a look of concern.

"And who will direct?" he asked.

"I will," replied Laurette.

"What?" asked Andre.

"I am afraid that it becomes even worse. Monsieur Garier will be arriving shortly to take me to his estate. I will stay there for most of the time, only visiting you once in a while." The Company began to talk all at once.

"Oh my God."

"What will we do?"

"Madame," said Gautier, "I cannot do this. Please do not make me do this! I am still learning. How can I possibly put together an entire production?"

"And I cannot assist him," the conductor said stepping forward. "I am sorry Madame but I have already agreed to my other employer for at least six months more with my second job. I was hoping that with our success, by that time Monsieur Garier would reconsider in what he is paying me."

"We will fail," said Andre.

"So you do not want to fail?" asked Laurette.

"Of course we do not want to fail," replied Justine, "What kind of question is that?"

"And would you do anything for me?" asked Laurette looking right at Justine. Erik cringed. He could still escape.

"Of course, Madame, all of us would." They all nodded.

"Even if it meant for all of you to keep a secret? Can I trust in such loyalty from an entire company?" They all looked at one another in question.

"Madame," said Justine quietly, "what is it that you are asking of us? You know that we would do anything for you. Not just for the production, but for you personally."

Laurette studied their faces carefully. All of them were nodding in agreement, even Philippe, although he was still scared to look at her. She suddenly walked over to Erik, took his hand, and pulled him from behind the curtain. The Company reacted with surprised faces.

"This is your Maestro," said Laurette. Erik's heart was pounding, but he said nothing.

"Who…Who is this?" asked Andre. "Wait, Monsieur Rosseau? Why is he still wearing a mask?"

"Oh my God," said Justine suddenly. "No…no, it cannot be." He was looking incredulous at Erik, his facial expression as if something had just become evident to him.

"What?" asked Dion.

"Do you mean to tell me that…," Justine hesitated now looking at Laurette.

"Yes," said Laurette quietly. Justine strangely began to laugh while the Company looked at him in question.

"No…I should have known. I was wondering how Monsieur Rosseau could have arrived so quickly to go to the ball with you Madame."

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Andre angrily.

"Do you not know who this is?" asked Justine still laughing in a very strange manner.

"No, would you like to fill us in?" said Maurice in an icy tone.

"The stories…the tales of the Opera Ghost. It is him, do you not see? He is the Phantom of the Opera!"

The reaction of the Company was that of complete fear, some even taking steps backwards, while others looked nervously at Laurette.

_Oh this is just wonderful_, thought Erik. Why the hell was he standing here? Was this nothing but a dream? No, it was a nightmare. All of them could easily overtake him. _Capturing the Opera Ghost, wouldn't that be a triumph_, thought Erik bitterly.

"_He_ is the reason for the success you had with the last production," said Laurette now looking at them with the most serious face. "How do all of you think that I could handle such a production myself?"

"I thought you said Monsieur Garier had someone helping you," said Andre.

"Oh please Andre, would Monsieur Garier actually do that?" asked Justine.

"So…so he has been assisting you?"

"No," said Laurette to Erik's surprise. "He has been as much of an equal director as I. He in no way simply 'assisted' me."

Justine's face had slowly turned more serious as if it was now dawning on him as to what the situation really meant. He may have been the first to put together who Erik was, but he was the last to react with sudden fear. But of course, with Justine, it came off as anger.

"Forgive me Madame, but…" Justine's eyes narrowed at Erik and then he looked back at Laurette. "You expect for this Company to follow him in your place, a man who terrorized this Opera House. He is…" Justine now hesitated.

"Say it," said Laurette in an angry voice. Justine looked at Erik, his eyes staring straight at him now with no fear.

"A murderer," finished Justine in a cold voice at Erik.

Clenching his jaw, Erik tilted his head and his eyes narrowed back at Justine. _Yes, and I could kill you just as easily. But I will let you live because of that damn voice of yours which Laurette needs_, thought Erik.

"And do you know if that is true?" asked Laurette.

"Of course I do."

"How? Such stories are grossly over-exaggerated. I highly doubt that I would even need to explain that to any of you, especially you, Justine! You know that everyone thinks of you as an egotistical, uncaring fool. But I know better, I have seen you. We all have. We know your soul is full of music, passionate and caring. What is the truth? Who are we to judge? Until you really know someone, none of us have that right to say _who_ he is!"

Erik was impressed by Laurette's remarks even though he knew full well that he was in fact a cold blooded murderer. But the cast seemed to be impressed as well. They now had somber, almost embarrassed looks upon their faces as they were thinking exactly what Justine had been. Justine, however, was still looking coldly at Erik; his hands were clenched into fists. Then he slowly turned and looked at Laurette.

"I am first and foremost your student Madame. Only you have been responsible for the success of our Company, including my personal success. None of us would be here without you. And now you are asking for us to…follow _him._" Justine looked angrily at Erik once again.

"Yes," said Laurette. "You will all fail if you do not." The Company murmured to each other once more. They had _never_ heard Laurette say they would fail. Justine looked once again at Laurette.

"I told you once that I would do anything for you and while it pains me to say this…," Justine grew silent. Erik grew tense at his words wondering if Justine was going to refuse.

"I will do it. But only because of _you_."

Justine then stepped forward, breaking away from the Company and stood a feet away from Laurette directly in front of her. Armond and Dion looked at each other and then quickly also stepped forward. Andre and Maurice followed, then Julia, even Philippe. Before Erik knew it, the entire Company was now a few feet from both him and Laurette. They had made their decision.

For the first time, Laurette slipped and let her emotions overflow. Her eyes welled up with tears. Erik badly wanted to hold her, but would not do such a thing in front of the Company.

"Thank you," said Laurette to all of them in a trembling voice. She then looked at Erik. "I trust all of them. They will keep your secret."

Erik still said nothing, quite overwhelmed that he was even standing there in front of the Company. But it suddenly came back to him that she was now leaving. He would be alone. Erik's heart felt heavy with this thought.

"Monsieur Garier is allowing me to change the production to one of my choice," said Laurette now looking at all of them again. "My selection is Don Carlo."

Erik was pleased with her choice. Although it would still be difficult without her to rehearse as Elisabetta, there was much more to the story. Justine would be able to once again carry them through this production with the character of Carlo. Armond and Dion also nodded.

"That is a good choice, Madame," said Armond. "We will succeed under the Maestro. We will not disappoint you." Again, many of the Company were nodding.

Then noise echoing through the outside hall was heard. Laurette turned and looked at Erik, still trying to hold back her tears. The noise was getting louder and Erik could tell it was the chatter of Monsieur Garier's servants. He swallowed hard, looking at her, trying to memorize everything he could before she was taken from him. Another sound made Laurette jump slightly and Erik then slowly backed away from her. He stopped for a moment, still taking one last look at her, and then slipped behind the curtain.

The doors in the back of the theater flung open and four women made their way down the aisle. Among them was Bernadette. The Company looked nervously at Laurette and she composed herself once more.

"Where are your things?" asked Bernadette in a loud voice. Laurette said nothing. "Of course, I should have known. It does not matter as I am sure Monsieur Garier will buy you all new clothes for his upcoming gatherings. Now, come down from the stage."

Laurette slowly walked down the steps on the side of the stage and then before Erik knew it, she was gone.

Hearing the back theaters close, Erik very slowly emerged, standing once again in front of them. Justine looked at him coldly.

"Well _Maestro_," Justine said in an almost mocking tone, "where would you like us to begin? I have no doubt that I will be able to carry the part of Don Carlo quite easily." The cast looked nervously at Erik.

"And do you know the story of Don Carlo?" asked Erik. He strongly suspected that Justine did not. Even though he heard Laurette tell Christine that Justine had at least a few years of experience in the opera world, Erik knew better. Justine grimaced at him.

"No," said Justine in a quiet, but angry tone. But Erik was pleased that he at least admitted such a thing.

"We do," said Dion standing next to Armond. Erik looked at them thoughtfully. Faithful to Laurette and the secret they kept with Monsieur Beaumont, both of them would be good leaders for Erik.

"Good," Erik said. "Why don't you both tell the story while the musicians play the first song?" The conductor nodded and motioned for the musicians to take their seats. Many of them were also fairly inexperienced, but just as the cast, had natural talent. Justine was still staring icily at Erik, but the rest of the Company seem to ignore him and sat down once more on the stage. Dion and Armond approached center stage and Erik stepped aside, his hands behind his back.

They did a fairly good job, explaining that Don Carlo, Infante to Spain was betrothed to Elisabetta de Valois who he had never met. He secretly meets her before the wedding to catch a glimpse of her and they fall in love. But then, to prevent war with a treaty that was suddenly decided upon, Elisabetta's father forces her to marry Carlo's father, Fillipo instead. They explained the story went into more detail then just this one romance. Another woman, Eboli, secretly loves Carlo who threatens to bring about his downfall as his friend Rodrigo and he had pledged their devotion to rid themselves from Spanish oppression. Rodrigo protects Carlo by hiding incriminating papers. In the end, Rodrigo takes the blame for the rebellion and is killed. Despite Carlo's love for Elisabetta, Fillipo releases his son after being captured and Rodrigo taking the blame. But when Carlo tries to meet Elisabetta one last time, his father captures him and turns him over to the inquisitor, condemning him to death.

The Company listened intently while Dion and Armond told the story. They turned to ask Erik a few questions along the way in which he answered, but overall, they were very descriptive. Erik was secretly satisfied with his strategy as the Company was now paying more attention to them and the story. By using faces familiar to them, Erik was managing to place them more at ease. The music in the background played by the orchestra also set the mood well.

"So, you see Justine, at least in this story Carlo actually does make sure his betrothed is pretty. He will fit your personality perfectly," laughed Dion. The rest of the cast chuckled. Justine, however, said nothing, a stony look upon his face. Erik could see that Justine was going to be quite the challenge.

Erik began to cast the characters. Julia would play Eboli, and Andre of course, was perfect to play Rodrigo, an eternal friend to Carlo. Andre and Justine together on stage as friends would come across quite well. Armond would play the role of his father. There were other characters as well and Erik finished his casting selection with the rest of the Company. All seemed fairly pleased except Justine who was still silent.

"How can I rehearse with Madame as Elisabetta when she is not even here?" asked Justine in a low voice.

"We will use Julia for rehearsals," said Erik. In response, Julia looked quite apprehensive.

"Maestro, I was looking over the music with the conductor…I…I cannot possibly reach the height of such notes with my voice," said Julia with a trembling voice.

"I do not expect you to necessarily sing in such a key," said Erik to her. "We just need you to practice with Justine so we can get a feel for the designated spots on the stage."

"And just exactly how are you going to have Madame Duprey know where on stage she should be standing or walking?" asked Justine once again in a sarcastic voice. Erik was becoming annoyed with him, but did quite well in holding back his emotion.

"I will write Madame Duprey pretending to be Gautier. I will send her details of what we rehearse. In turn, I am sure she will relay ideas back to us." The Company nodded. "Gautier, if you would start to have Justine and Julia practice the melody of the first song. Andre, as I know you can read music quite well, you may go ahead and begin to review your part. The rest need to come with me and we will begin to review the chorus selections."

Gautier nodded and took the sheet music for the duet. He motioned to Justine and Julia, and the three walked backstage to find a more private area to practice. Andre retrieved his music and followed. The conductor then approached Erik showing him the music to some of the chorus sections. Erik quickly made a few changes, knowing the extent in range of the chorus. The conductor seemed impressed.

"I had not thought of that," he said looking at Erik's revisions. "You do seem to have the same mind of Madame Duprey. I can see that now."

"May I ask your name?" asked Erik. He only knew him as the "conductor" and never heard anyone call him by another name. Then, for the first time, the conductor smiled at Erik. This was quite a moment for Erik as no one had offered any such pleasantry to him since stepping in front of the Company.

"Joseph Boucher," he said and extended a welcoming handshake to Erik. The Company seemed to relax with this introduction. While he and Joseph looked over more of the music, the chorus and musicians began to quietly talk in various conversations. Although quieter then normal, the talking relaxed Erik more as he was used to hearing their voices in such a manner between songs during everyday rehearsals. Satisfied that he and Joseph had made a few more changes, they began to practice the melody with the orchestra. It went fairly well and Erik's suggestions to a few of them helped blend their voices quite in tune.

Erik made them continue to practice as he sought out Philippe to discuss the sets, although he hadn't figured out quite yet just how he was going to do this. Philippe always seemed to know what Laurette wanted, but he never figured out how she communicated this to him.

He found Philippe sitting on the floor backstage furiously scribbling in his binder. Erik walked up behind him and was pleased to see that Philippe was already sketching some of the sets.

"Those look very good," said Erik.

He should have known better. Philippe was so startled by Erik's voice that he jumped up and quickly backed into a wall. He looked as if he were about to run but fortunately Maurice was nearby and hastened his pace over to them.

"Philippe, it is alright," said Maurice soothingly, but Philippe shook his head wildly. Erik's heart sank. Philippe was scared to death of him, ten times more than anyone else.

"Do you trust Madame Duprey?" asked Maurice. Philippe looked up at his brother and then slowly nodded. "Then you can trust him. Now, show the Maestro what you were working on."

Philippe glanced at Erik which appeared to still be eyes full of complete terror. Erik simply took a step back, making sure to give Philippe his space. This gesture worked slightly as Philippe once again glanced at Erik, but now more in a thoughtful manner. Erik realized he was quite intelligent as well as creative. He seemed to understand that Erik was trying very hard not to appear threatening and letting him take the lead.

His hands trembling still, Philippe bent down and picked up his binder that he had thrown on the floor. His head still down, he held it out to Erik. Maurice smiled at Erik. Slowly Erik reached out and accepted it, then opened it to review what Philippe had completed in more detail this close. It was very good and he was surprised how the first images seem to fit so well. In fact, the first scene was a forest. Dion and Armond had not mentioned that Carlo and Elisabetta met secretly in a forest. He looked at Philippe.

"You already knew the story of Don Carlo," Erik said.

"Oh yes," said Maurice for his brother who was now trying to hide behind him. "He loves opera. He always has. I believe he knows almost every opera backwards and forwards."

"Really?" said Erik. He was surprised but delighted at this. It would not be as hard to communicate with him as Erik suddenly knew he could easily relate to his love for opera. Erik closed the binder. But he still had to somehow make Philippe unafraid of him.

"What are your ideas for Act II? Can the same lights be used from the forest scene?" Erik knew this would get a reaction.

He was right. Philippe looked up at Erik and shook his head. Then he hesitantly stepped forward holding out his hand for his book. Erik gave it to him and Philippe quickly turned the pages and then pulled out a sheet to give to him. Erik looked at and smiled. It was a much darker set with a monastery. Philippe did in fact know this opera well.

"Excellent," said Erik. Philippe looked a bit surprised at his compliment and accepted the drawing back. Maurice patted his brother's shoulder and Erik moved off to check on Justine and Julia. Gautier saw him coming and motioned for them to move back to the stage. Joseph stopped the chorus when he saw them appear.

"Do you want to practice Elisabetta's first solo entrance?" asked Joseph.

"Yes, let's start there so we can set the tone," he said looking at Julia.

Philippe was not the only one scared to death of Erik. It was clearly evident that Julia was quite nervous as she looked at him with fearful eyes. As she did not move, Erik finally motioned for her to come next to him on the stage. She hesitantly came forward, then suddenly stumbled and Erik literally caught her. Completely embarrassed, Julia steadied herself. But she then realized that he had saved her from falling and looked at him with a little less fear. Erik saw Justine giving him a dangerous glare for even touching her. With Julia now firmly standing, Erik placed his hands behind his back once more.

"I…I am not sure I can sing this," he was surprised to hear her whisper to him. Not caring now what Justine thought, Erik bent down to her.

"Yes you can. I have listened to all of your performances. You sing well when you have the confidence," Erik said very quietly so the others staring at them would not hear. She nodded, but her eyes were still nervous. Erik motioned to Joseph who started the music.

Julia began to sing, quite softly, but she was carrying the melody well.

"Good," whispered Erik into her ear as she sang. "Now sing _louder_."

She did as he asked and raised her voice to the music. As her voice became stronger, Erik nodded at her. Julia became more confident at his gesture and she carried the song extremely well. Finished with the first part of the song, Julia waited for her next entrance as the orchestra played on. But Erik took her by the hand and moved her forward on the stage as the music swelled. She looked nervously at him at first, but then realized he was showing her where to move onstage in the scene.

Satisfied with the spot she was now standing on, Erik released her hand, then looked over at Philippe and nodded. In response, Philippe scrambled up to one of the catwalks and let one of the backgrounds down that had a nature scene. He turned on a few lights, including a spotlight on Julia. Erik stepped aside and the entire Company watched as she took center stage. Not stopping once, Julia finished and was rewarded with applause as it was quite a challenging song. Although she had sung some of the verses in a lower key, Julia did quite well. Erik nodded at her again and she smiled.

Things were going well. Justine however, was unusually silent. But Erik was now done for the day. Rehearsal had already gone past its usual time and the Company had quite enough surprises and stress in one day. So did Erik for that matter.

Erik motioned to Gautier who then announced rehearsal was done for the day. Joseph walked up to Erik with Armond and Dion not far behind.

"Here is the remainder of the score," he said to Erik. "I look forward to hearing more of your ideas."

"Thank you," replied Erik somewhat still amazed that the man was actually speaking to him. Armond and Dion were now before him as Joeseph took his leave.

"We need to take more precautions," Dion said. "I know the Opera House is closed to any outsiders during rehearsal, however, there are from time to time those who still venture inside."

"Yes," agreed Armond. "And Monsieur Garier could always suddenly stop by."

"Of course," said Erik, "However, how do you plan to so closely watch and make sure no one comes in?"

"Well first, we will lock the doors to the inside theater."

"But they do not lock," said Erik.

"Oh we will take care of that," said Dion.

"It would be dangerous if something happened like a fire of course, but we can make sure to provide some sort emergency exit process," said Armond.

"And what about the backstage area?" asked Erik. He knew there were other areas that visitors could easily sneak in as he saw this repeatedly during performances when he was up on the catwalks.

"We will form a lookout schedule with the entire Company. It worked quite well with Monsieur…," Armond suddenly hesitated.

"Beaumont," finished Erik.

"So you do know," said Dion.

Erik nodded. "Laurette told me."

"Laurette?"

"Madame Duprey," said Erik.

"Oh, yes…so that is her first name."

Erik was surprised that neither seemed to know her first name even after working with her for so long. But then she only kept a professional side with even them. Now that he thought about it, he never even saw mention of her first name in any of the newspapers either. They only referred to her as Madame Duprey. Unfortunately now Erik had given away that he and she were in fact on a first name basis. Still, they did not know anything else about his relationship with her.

"Well, anyway," said Dion continuing, "we know some fairly good tricks from those days in keeping such a secret."

"And some lessons learned as well," said Armond with some color in his face. Erik knew he was referring to the day they both were overheard. But he knew they would be determined this time to make sure that it would not happen again.

"Yes. Madame Duprey has quite a bit of faith in you both and so I do as well. I am sure it will be fine with whatever you work out," said Erik. They both nodded and said good night. And then Erik was alone again.

He walked back to the Music Room. It felt entirely strange not to be taking the secret passageways, but it was the most direct route from the stage. Entering the room, he walked over and sat down at the piano beginning to sift through the Act I that they had began to rehearse.

He sighed heavily. Erik missed Laurette terribly at the moment. He needed her smile. Although he should have been ecstatic and amazed with today's rehearsal, he was more tired and worried. How would the rest of rehearsals go? And when would Laurette return?

Still, the Company was already beginning to accept him just with this first rehearsal. He had made quite an impact with his direction to them today and Erik tried to take some comfort in this. He needed to communicate with Laurette in regard to the areas he was working on.

He picked up a pen, took a sheet of paper and began to write to her. How badly Erik wanted to pour his heart out into the letter, but he refrained from doing so as he knew Monsieur Garier was likely to read any correspondence she received. Signing Gautier's name, he placed the letter in an envelope and planned on sending it to her tomorrow.

He looked at the piano for a moment, still thinking of Laurette. He began once more to play the song she had played so many times, but it did not comfort him as much this time. Yet it was all he had of her and so Erik continued to once again play late into the night.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Over the next week, Erik continued working tirelessly with the Company. Each day they were improving as was their respect for him and his creative thoughts. They were still somewhat nervous around him however, and Erik found that although he now was continually around so many people, conversation did not sway from the production. This was fine with Erik as he saw Laurette doing the same and it made the cast always pay close attention with respect to the director role.

But all of the Company seemed to be quite serious. No longer did Erik hear occasional laughter in side conversations. He continued to notice that Justine was partly the major cause of their heavy tone. He no longer demonstrated his happier personality which usually rubbed off on others. Even with Andre, Justine was quite bitter. Their friendship seemed to be breaking away, which did not help at all with the relationship of the characters that were best friends.

In addition, Justine would constantly challenge Erik, questioning everything he said. But instead of giving into his anger, Erik found that he was much quicker in wit then Justine. Most of his questions ended in only furthering Erik's success in proving his skill in music. However, this was only causing irritation to Justine. If it were not for his promise to Laurette, Erik had little doubt that Justine would no longer be in the production.

During the later part of the week, Erik arrived early while the cast were doing their warm up exercises. Justine, however, was not participating. Erik motioned to Gautier to stop.

"Justine, why are you not doing the warm-up exercises?" asked Erik.

"Because the exercises are a ridiculous waste of time," replied Justine in his usual arrogant tone.

This was not good. Erik knew if Justine did not participate in such warm-ups that he could strain and destroy his voice. He thought for a moment and then tilted his head slightly at Justine.

"Do you know the purpose for completing warm-up exercises?"

"Yes," Justine sighed, looking irritated at Erik.

"Then tell me the reason," Erik said when Justine said nothing further.

"So my voice is ready to sing. But I sing every day. My voice is ready all the time," said Justine now crossing his arms.

"Singing every day does _not_ prepare your voice, Justine. In fact, you will damage your vocal chords if you do not properly warm up."

"I can sing the highest range right from the start. My voice is fine. There are some of us that have natural talent, you know." Erik shook his head, but Justine continued to defy him. "I have agreed to perform under you for Madame Durprey and I will do so in every aspect of the performance. But I do not need direction from you on performing scales."

Erik narrowed his eyes at him and saw the cast looking anxiously to see what his reaction would be. But Erik knew, unlike Laurette, he could not tell Justine to do this or walk in circles. He knew Justine was already on the edge of walking out of the production.

"Fine," said Erik simply. Justine looked a bit surprised at his response, most likely expecting a battle would have ensued. But he regained his composure quickly.

"Good," replied Justine, "then we understand each other."

"Yes I think I understand you quite well, Justine."

Erik walked over to Joeseph to discuss some changes he had made the night before. Ignoring Justine, His new strategy would be to no longer pay attention to him. He was now realizing that Justine must come to him and he could no longer push for his cooperation. He would wait patiently for the results of such a strategy.

The rest of the Company was still doing fairly well. Julia was doing better and Erik always looked forward to working with her. She was beginning to truly appreciate him with the suggestions he made and always gave him a smile now. In response, it made Erik more comfortable and he found himself becoming more empathetic in his tone to other cast members, giving a great deal of patience and encouragement. They were all responding well to him with the exception of Justine.

Erik finally received a letter from Laurette. It was addressed to Gautier who had brought it to Erik immediately without opening it. Erik was a bit disheartened when he read the letter though he was not sure why. Like him, Laurette realized that she could not give him any personal words and wrote only in regards to the production. He noted a few of her suggestions, some of which he would use. Others he would argue back. However, he had to be selective in such arguments as communication was slow in this manner and there would not be time to let any differences linger too long.

He had instructed the Company to do a run through of the first production as it was to be performed the next evening. While they were rehearsing, Erik read Laurette's letter again, making a few more notes.

Then he suddenly read a sentence she wrote with new interest.

_Elisabetta should stand firm with Carlos in the decision made to marry his father. She knows that what she is doing is for the sake of her country and it should be portrayed in that manner with the music. It will take a strong will to make Carlos understand and only time will do this._

Erik realized she was speaking to him directly about Justine. She already knew he was going to have difficulty with him and was encouraging Erik to continue with his patience. With this private note from Laurette, Erik was feeling much better even though he still was missing Laurette terribly.

"Maestro, should we go back to practicing Don Carlos?" asked Gautier. They were finished with their rehearsal of the first production.

"No," said Erik taking a tip from Laurette that he observed. "I want this performance to be fresh in their minds for tomorrow evening. We are done for the day."

Gautier dismissed the Company and Erik returned to writing Laurette. Taking her lead, Erik figured out a way to portray his misery without her.

_This particular section in the music points to the emotion of the feelings still existing between Elisabetta and Carlos. Although they are far apart, Carlos still longs for her. Her absence makes him feel a terrible loss, but he continues to go on for the cause._

Satisfied that she would understand this was about his feelings, Erik walked back to the stage and found Gautier who was finishing up some last items. He gave the letter to Gautier and then Erik also stayed to talk with a few of the members still there as they sought him out for advice on their performances.

The weekend arrived and their performances were flawless. Erik was quite pleased. The Company, despite the absence of Laurette, seemed to be holding together. He had hoped that they might even get a glimpse of Laurette, but Monsieur Garier did not attend either show. However Erik did overhear some of the audience talking about Laurette.

"Did you hear that Monsieur Caron was not invited to Monsieur Garier's estate for the introduction of Madame Duprey?"

"No!"

"Oh yes, Monsieur Garier has completely snubbed any of those who doubted him in those earlier performances. He is not even here to acknowledge those who have not seen this production despite the profit from high priced tickets that were sold out."

"And so he is now reserving the introduction of Madame Duprey's singing voice to only a few?"

"Yes, he is holding a few very private parties. We are working on a way to see if we can be invited."

Erik's heart sank as he heard this. He had no idea when he would be able to see Laurette again. Erik knew she would push Monsieur Garier as far as she could to come back to the Opera House, but she had to be careful not to stir his temper. This thought still angered Erik to no end. Monsieur Garier's time would come. Erik had no doubt that he would eventually kill the man.

The next week, Erik began once again to rehearse Don Carlos. However, Justine was now having difficulty, his voice becoming hoarse. Erik knew this was due to his lack of warm-up exercises. He worried that if Justine did not relent soon, his voice could be damaged permanently. But Justine only waved off the issue.

"I just placed too much of my heart and soul into those last performances," Erik overheard Justine tell other cast members. "I have just been singing too hard."

But as the rehearsal wore on, Justine found his voice becoming harder to maintain. He finally asked Erik if he could let his voice rest for the remainder of the day. Erik nodded and said nothing. Justine talked only in whispers when he had to during the rehearsal. Erik knew this would make no difference in improvement but again, he said nothing to Justine.

Two days later, Justine could still not sing and Erik considered that he would need to re-cast the main role with Andre for the next performance in La Petite. This made Justine quite upset, but there was nothing he could do. He knew he could not sing.

Not being able to stand it any longer, Justine finally approached Erik on the third day after rehearsal. He could barely speak and Erik took pity on him.

"Drink this," said Erik handing him a glass of water.

"It's warm," complained Justine with a whisper and making a face after drinking a sip.

"Cold water will only make your vocal chords worse. It makes the muscles tense," said Erik.

"That does not make any sense," said Justine ever so softly.

Erik thought for a moment and then looked back at Justine. "Have you ever jumped into ice water?"

"No," replied Justine.

"Well how do you think it would feel?"

"Damn cold!"

"Exactly," said Erik. "You would immediately feel tense all over wouldn't you? It is the same with the muscles in your vocal chords."

"Oh, I see," whispered Justine, and then he drank the rest of the water from the glass. "I thought resting it would help, even if I just had to whisper." Justine was suddenly surprised to hear his voice already coming back slightly after drinking the water. Erik shook his head.

"Even whispering will strain the vocal chords. Think about it. You cannot speak but you are still using the muscles, even more so when trying to get any sound out when the vocal chords are already abused."

"Abused?"

"Yes," said Erik quietly.

"Because I refuse to do the warm-up exercises."

Erik continued to look at Justine but said nothing.

"Fine, you win," said Justine. "I will do the damn exercises."

"There is no 'winning' Justine. Not for you or anyone in the company if you do not perform well. Your pride is getting in the way and letting others down as well."

Justine gave a deep sigh, still looking somewhat defeated. But he looked back at Erik with a determined face." Would you continue to give me vocal lessons as Madame Duprey did?" This was a huge leap for Justine to ask Erik such a thing.

"Yes. You may meet with me an hour before each rehearsal."

"That is _really_ early," said Justine. Erik knew Justine was thinking of his late night escapades in the city. But Erik did not have time for any lack of engagement on Justine's part.

"That is the offer," said Erik.

"Alright," replied Justine in a slightly irritated tone. But as Erik turned away, Justine spoke again.

"I apologize."

Surprised but also pleased, Erik turned around to face him.

"You do not need to apologize, Justine. But I do need a favor."

Justine eyed him suspiciously. "What is it?"

"I need for you to have an open mind. Stop looking at things with such bitterness. It will not bring Laurette back."

"Laurette?"

_Damn. _He did it again. Erik was simply not used to calling Laurette Madame Durprey, especially as he no longer felt such a formal title did fit her, at least not to him.

He sighed.

"Madame Duprey," Erik said, correcting himself.

"Oh," said Justine. He stood quiet for a moment. "I will try Maestro."

"Good," replied Erik and they both left the stage, but this time in the same direction. Justine politely bid Erik a good night and walked out to the main hall while Erik made his way once more to the Music Room. He was quite pleased at himself for having the patience to wait for Justine's strong will to give. He sat down and opened Laurette's latest letter to him.

_The first movement needs more contrast. There needs to be more of a climax when Carlos and Rodrigos pledge their eternal friendship. The scene needs more transition from darkness to brightness. Maybe Philippe could lighten the set during this moment._

Erik shook his head smiling. Lighten a scene at a dark monastery? That would not work. But he could hear Laurette already arguing with him on this particular point. Erik knew her goal was to keep the audience captive somehow and too much despair dampened their reaction. This was important to Laurette. Even though she did not want to sing, she wanted to make sure the production appealed to the audience as much as possible. It was the audience that would continue to drive ticket sales and keep the members of the Company.

He would compromise somewhat and use Carolos and Rodrigos passionate pledge to be during the early morning hours outside the monastery. Erik would work with Joseph to make sure the music climbed higher at the end of the song when the sun was rising. He would discuss such scenery with Philippe tomorrow.

_That should be bright enough for Laurette_, thought Erik. He continued to read her letter and his heart constricted when he realized she had inserted a reply to his sense of loss in the last correspondence.

_Thank you for your comments in regards to portraying the feelings of Carlo with that particular scene. Elisabetta, now staying with another man who does not care for her, is also going through such pain. She no longer has any control of her life. As always, it was other men that made such a decision. Yet she knows the one man who cares for her will work tirelessly so that eventually one day they can escape tyranny._

Erik gave a deep sigh and closed the letter. He should just seek out Monsieur Garier and kill the man. That was the answer to escaping such tyranny. But he knew Laurette was extremely concerned as to who would replace him, maybe even re-casting the entire Company including her. But was this not already a threat to them?

He shook his head as he knew he would not go against Laurette's wishes. But Erik's emptiness was now consuming him and he was not working as hard in the evenings. Once alone, Erik could only think of her. He did occasionally think of Christine, still angry at himself for letting the Count live. But Laurette's words lingered in his mind that everything happens and changes for a reason. Laurette was part of that change in his life and despite his pain, Erik had now accepted that perhaps there was someone else meant for him. Yet he was still afraid of Laurette breaking his heart and he continued to try and hold his emotions for her inside.

He wrote back to her, making sure to articulate a point that the Company needed her for rehearsal. It had been almost two weeks since her departure and the production now needed her more then anything to continue. Leaving the letter on the piano where Gautier could see it, Erik retreated through the mirror and down below for sleep.

Over the next few days, Justine's voice improved. However, it was still not acceptable for the performances and Erik made the final decision that Andre needed to take the lead in La Petite. As a result, a few of the cast members had to change roles but Erik was satisfied after watching the dress rehearsal. He felt badly for Justine. Erik knew that he was watching and not being able to perform was torturing him. But Erik also knew that it was a lesson well learned on his part.

Despite the change in cast, the Friday and Saturday performances went well. But Erik still saw no sign of Laurette or Monsieur Garier. Nor did he receive any correspondence from her. On Sunday, he was becoming almost distraught with no rehearsal and nothing to distract him from his thoughts about her.

But as Erik sat at his piano down below trying to force himself to work, he heard a voice calling. He jumped up and made his way up to the Opera House. The voice was coming from the stage and Erik suddenly realized it was a man's voice. It was Justine.

He emerged from the secret passageway and cautiously walked behind the stage curtains, wary that the Company was not present to assist in protecting his secret. Erik was still very anxious that anyone would find out about him, or worse, someone in the Company would betray him. Very slowly, he came out onto the stage with Justine.

"Yes?"

Justine whirled around at his voice, somewhat startled. "Maestro, yes, there you are. I was hoping wherever you were that you would be able to hear me calling for you."

"What do you want Justine?" asked Erik still very conscious that none of the Company was present and he was now out in the open. The doors to theater were not even locked.

"Well, first of all, I saw Gautier this morning and he asked me to come by and give this to you," said Justine extending his hand with an envelope. Erik was quite relieved as he realized Laurette had finally written to him.

"Thank you," said Erik. He placed the envelope in the inside pocket of his jacket.

"You are not going to read it now?"

Erik was a bit annoyed at this question even though it was by no means unexpected. But anything regarding Laurette, especially her letters, was private for him. "What is the second reason you came to see me Justine?" asked Erik impatiently, completely ignoring his question.

"Well…I have a proposal for you, something that could help. There is someone I know, a lifetime loyal servant for years to a local family that now needs employment."

_A servant? _What in the world would he need a servant for?

"I do not see how this would assist me," said Erik.

"Well, Julia and Nicole have been filling in for Madame Duprey on coordinating all the housekeeping staff that comes in before each performance."

"Madame Duprey did this?" asked Erik. He did not know this was another task she had to oversee. Erik always knew that various servants worked to make the Opera House entrance and theater shine. Armond and Dion had especially made sure such staff knew that under no circumstances should they enter the theater for cleaning until after rehearsal hours in which by that time Erik was usually locked in the Music Room. But he did not know Laurette was responsible for this. He simply thought that one of Monsieur Garier's servants, such as Bernadette oversaw such a thing.

"Yes," replied Justine. "And I am sure you know that Monsieur Garier is not an easy man to please. Julia and Nicole have been quite relieved that he has not visited. Not that they are doing a bad job in coordinating the staff that come in to do the job, however, they are not exactly experts when it comes to directing housekeeping staff. And they usually need quite a bit of instruction, especially as so many different servants come and go. Being hired on a part-time basis is something most of them will only take until they have found another position."

"I had no idea that Julia and Nicole were doing such a thing," said Erik still surprised by this.

"Yes, well, back to my point. The woman I know would be extremely helpful. In fact, up until recently she had directed quite a large staff of servants. But the family had to move. Maria could not go as her husband serves as a butler for another prominent household."

"Maria?"

"That is her name. However…," Justine suddenly looked nervously at Erik. "Servants do not keep their own homes Monsieur. They live where they serve."

"Even if they are married to someone who lives elsewhere?" asked Erik. He suddenly once again felt inept at his understanding of society in regards to such a thing.

"Yes, Maria and her husband have lived apart over twenty years of marriage. Sundays are usually the designated day off for servants and so they see each other once a week."

This was a completely ridiculous concept to Erik. He knew servants worked from morning until late at night, waiting on the families that hired them. But this was even colder to keep someone apart from a spouse.

"And her husband's household cannot hire her?"

"They do not have any openings, although there may be a chance to make such an exception for her. Both she and her husband have superior reputations as loyal servants. However…it is not something she would prefer to do."

_Not to live with one's husband given the opportunity?_ asked Erik in his mind. He shook his head. He would never understand such ways of society.

"So…if Maria was hired to work here…she would have to reside here in the Opera House," said Justine still looking at Erik nervously.

Erik sighed. He had become used to Laurette living here and no one else. He was just beginning to once again enjoy roaming around any of the rooms regularly at night. But he knew Justine had a point and this would free Nicole and Julia to focus more on the production. There were more then enough guest bedrooms in the opera house that went unused. Still, Erik looked at Justine with hesitation.

"She is…like a mother to me," said Justine quietly. "She is in fact the only mother I have ever known." Erik knew little about Justine's personal life other then his late nights with various women. It was obvious that this was something quite important to him.

"Very well," said Erik.

"Really?"

Erik nodded.

"Thank you, Maestro. I assure you that you will not regret it." Then Justine hesitated. "How will you be able to pay her, if I may ask? Will Laurette ask Monsieur Garier?" Erik had not thought of this and there was no way in hell he was going to have Laurette ask Monsieur Garier for such a thing.

"I will pay her," said Erik quietly. He had more money then he knew what to do with so this was not a problem. Justine nodded.

"Thank you again. May I bring her by this evening to meet you?"

"Meet me?" Erik thought this would be someone that would still just think Gautier was directing and not be allowed into the theater during the day.

"Well, yes. I am sure there are many things she can do for you as well. I have so little time myself and I cannot imagine that you have any time at all with putting the production together."

While this was true, Erik still did not know what she could do for him. He was used to doing all his own chores and did not need anyone. And, it was yet another person that would know the Company's secret. Erik shook his head. "I do not think she needs to meet me. I can pay her salary through Gautier and he can manage her as needed." But Justine seemed to suddenly disagree with Erik.

"I think it is best for her to meet you. Good servants, especially one such as Maria, are _very_ loyal. They do not betray their master's secrets."

_Master? Oh, Good Lord, this is a little much_, thought Erik.

"I do not see the reason as to why it is necessary," said Erik flatly.

"I insist," said Justine.

"_You_ insist?" asked Erik in a low tone that put Justine back in his place. Justine sighed.

"Please Maestro, I…I mean no disrespect. But if you want me to begin such trust in you as a director, then I think you should in turn trust me on this issue."

Erik remained silent, looking at Justine. Justine was correct. He knew for Justine to become a leader for the Company, Erik would need to trust him in return.

"Very well," replied Erik. "I will be in the Music Room this evening as usual." Then Erik turned and walked offstage before Justine could say anything further. Returning down below to his home, Erik pushed aside his irritation at Justine. He sat down and quickly took out Laurette's letter. She seemed please with his compromise to brighten the monastery scene at the end and of course, she had made a few more suggestions. Erik read quickly down the rest of the letter, searching for any hidden personal thoughts to him. But he was happily surprised when he read the last paragraph.

_Monsieur Garier is allowing me to visit mid week. I will only be allowed to stay for one night, but I should arrive in the late afternoon for a few hours of rehearsal As a result, there will not be much time, so I suggest preparing the cast to practice any scenes they need with me as Elisabetta. Until then, I will look greatly forward to my return to the Opera House._

_Finally_, thought Erik. With the production three weeks away, the Company needed to rehearse with her. Erik was angry at the fact that Laurette would only be able to rehearse more then a few hours. But he was already beginning to think quickly as to which scenes they should rehearse with her. While he did not want to keep the Company too long, he would ask them tomorrow if most could stay a little longer with Laurette's arrival that afternoon. Erik also could not help but think there would be a few hours left in the evening to spend alone with her. He so longed to talk with her. But Erik also wanted to hold and kiss her once more. He prayed she would still feel the same way.

Erik was so caught up in writing down notes for Laurette's rehearsal that he had completely forgotten the time. He suddenly heard a familiar voice calling. Erik looked up at the clock and realized it was already evening. He quickly got up and made his way to the Music Room. Once there, he peered through the mirror and saw Justine calling for him. He held the hand of an older woman who looked slightly nervous. Erik shook his head again. He just hoped his secret would be kept long enough to see Laurette at least one last time. He knew the Company seemed to be loyal, but Erik was pessimistic that it was only a matter of time before his life would end, hopefully on his own terms.

He tapped the mirror and walked through. Justine and the woman looked up at him with startled faces.

"So there is one story that seems to be true. The Opera Ghost _can_ walk through mirrors as I have heard," said Justine with a smile.

Erik did not smile in return. Although the Opera Ghost stories protected him, he did not care for Justine's humorous remarks about such a thing. Realizing this, Justine cleared his throat slightly and walked a few steps forward to Erik with the woman.

"This is Maria."

Erik looked at the woman who gave a small smile and curtsied before him. She was short and rather plump. Her black hair was tightly put up and she wore the usual maid attire complete with a crisp, white apron Erik was used to seeing on most women servants. She was much older then him, but Erik also noticed she had a very soft looking face. Her eyes were a warm brown that almost had somewhat of a gleam in them.

"I truly appreciate your kindness, Monsieur. I am quite honored to be working in the finest Opera House. I promise you that I will take particular pride in assuring that it is well taken care of, especially before any performance," said Maria. Erik had to listen closely to this as she had quite an accent.

"Maria is from a Spanish descent," explained Justine already knowing what Erik was wondering. "She actually met her husband over in Spain while he was visiting and then moved here quite a long time ago."

"I see," said Erik quietly. "Well, it is nice to meet you." He was still apprehensive about yet another stranger keeping his identity quiet.

"Which room will be hers?" asked Justine.

"Any room other then Lau-," Erik stopped himself this time. "Other then Madame Duprey's suite."

Maria's eyes suddenly widened.

"You mean a _guest_ room?" she asked.

Erik looked at her, unsure of what she meant. "Yes."

"Oh no, Monsieur. Surely there must be servant quarters. I had heard at one time a very small staff even lived here. That is where I will be staying."

The Opera House did in fact have a servant's quarters. But it had not been used since before Erik was even here. It was in complete disarray and untouched. In addition, the rooms were so small Erik could not imagine what it was like to live in such a place. The bedroom area barely fit one single bed.

"No," said Erik quickly, "you cannot stay there. It is unsafe as it has not been used for some time."

"Oh, I will take care of that," said Maria. Erik grew slightly irritated. If she truly was his so called servant, should she not listen to him?

"No, you will not," said Erik again to her.

Maria looked quite upset. "But Monsieur, I cannot…I cannot stay in a guest room. It is improper. I am sure that I would be able to manage in the servant's quarters."

Erik now realized the issue was more about status in society then anything else. It was obvious to him now that she would actually almost feel embarrassed to stay in a nice room meant for a guest she should be serving. But the Opera House was Erik's domain and he did not care. She would either accept it or leave. He did not need any further upper society mannerisms around him. He hated it.

"I am sorry, however, that is my final word," said Erik. He would figure out another way to coordinate the cleaning servants if she refused. In response, Maria's face appeared shocked, as if she suddenly realized she would have no job unless she lived in a nice room. Justine bent down and nudged her.

"Please Maria, it is alright. You need the work," said Justine to her pleadingly.

"Fine," said Maria. "But I insist it still be the smallest room."

"Take her," Erik said to Justine. He nodded and still holding Maria's hand led her out of the room. Erik sighed and then went back down below to finish his notes.

The next morning, Erik arrived early in the Music Room. As usual, he was up extremely early, but this morning he wanted to make sure and finish up a few things. Justine's voice had now returned and this would be their first morning for vocal lessons. He was writing down some changes to the score in the last Act when the Music Room door suddenly opened. Startled, Erik looked sharply up but then realized it was Maria.

"Good morning Monsieur," she said cheerily to him. "I have been looking for you. Your breakfast is ready."

Erik stared blankly at her for a few moments.

"Maestro?"

"I am sorry," said Erik, "Did you say breakfast?"

"Well yes," said Maria now looking a bit flustered. She paused for a moment. "You _do_ eat, yes?" She was either serious or joking, Erik could not tell. Maybe it was both.

"Of course," said Erik.

"Well then," said Maria smiling, "Your breakfast is ready. It is in the dining room down the hall from Madame Duprey's suite. I will be in the kitchen cleaning should you need anything." And then she disappeared, closing the door. Erik was still sitting at the piano with pen in mid air, still in shock from her doing such a thing.

_Well, she is your servant now,_ thought Erik to himself. But the whole thing just sounded silly to him. Putting the pen down, Erik slowly got up and went through a secret mirror on the opposite side of the room that led past Laurette's suite. There was a library next to the dining room in which he had created a secret door. He walked through the library and into the dining room. There before his eyes was a rather neat place setting at the head of the table with various serving dishes of steaming food. Before he could even walk over, Maria bustled in from the kitchen.

"Here you are Monsieur. I was not sure what you liked so I made a bit of everything for you. You can give me further instruction later as to what dishes are to your taste." She set down two more serving plates of food.

Erik was incredulous. First, he did not usually eat breakfast. Second, there was enough food here to feed at least ten people. Not wanting to appear impolite after all the work she had done, Erik sat down, but then winced as he realized one of the windows was open with the morning sun brightly shining in on where he sat. To a normal person, this would have been a delight seeing the sun rise. To Erik, it was painful, his eyes completely blinded by such a thing.

"Is there something you need, Monsieur?" Maria asked sensing something was wrong.

"Would you…would you please draw the drapes?" he asked, looking away.

"Oh…why yes, of course!" Maria trumped over to the drapes and closed them immediately.

"Thank you," said Erik relieved that he now could see once more. She looked at him somewhat questioningly. Since apparently she was going to be literally waiting on him, Erik figured he should just be honest with her. "I cannot see very well in the daylight. In fact, I cannot really see at all in any bright light."

"I promise you Monsieur, it will not happen again." Maria looked like she had just taken a terrible blow, as if she made some horrible mistake.

Erik shook his head. "No…please, it is fine. Thank you."

She smiled at him, bowing her head. But before she could return to the kitchen, the dining room door burst open and Justine appeared. He saw Maria and went over to kiss her on the cheek. He looked at Erik.

"I came early this morning for the lessons we discussed and you weren't in the theater yet so I…_Good God_, are those croissants? And look at those pastries!" Indeed, the table was filled with food, some of them looking more like works of art in the way they were neatly displayed.

"May I…," Justine started to ask but Maria cleared her throat and glared at him. "Oh he won't mind Maria! I am starving. Besides, I need to eat a good meal before singing, right Maestro?" But Maria stood with her hands folded in front of her, not saying anything, still narrowing her eyes at Justine. She finally looked at Erik.

Although Erik wasn't exactly thrilled to have Justine as a dining companion, it wasn't as if he could possibly eat all this food anyway. He gave a nod to Maria. Only then did she retrieve a plate for Justine that she placed on the side of the table next to Erik. Justine eagerly sat down and began to pile large amounts of food onto his plate.  
"Why is it so dark in here?" asked Justine between bites of food.

Maria glared at him again. "Justine, if you do not like the 'atmosphere', then I am sure the Maestro would be more then happy to send you to theater where you can start practicing on your own!"

Justine laughed and looked at Erik. "You know, she _actually_ does love me," said Justine smiling.

Erik did in fact hold back a small laugh as Maria looked like she was ready to throw Justine out of the room. He was beginning to like her just for that alone.

"So…what is it that you are going to have me practice today?"

"Scales," said Erik waiting for Justine's reaction.

"You have to be kidding."

"No," replied Erik quietly. "You first need to learn how to warm up that voice of yours properly. At least half of our practice time will be focused on that alone." Justine rolled his eyes.

"Madame Duprey did not do that."

"First, you had lessons with her during the day after you had already warmed up. Second, she would make sure to force you to do such a thing if she saw your behavior these last few weeks. Not to mention the improper care you have been imposing on your voice."

"Fine," said Justine still looking annoyed but no longer arguing. Then he looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't suppose we could at least make it more exciting with some of the ladies joining in…maybe they could model those latest costumes I saw with the low necklines while I practice."

Maria smacked Justine on the back of the head as she walked behind him to give Erik more coffee. He winced but then laughed. "Really…she does love me," Justine said again, rubbing the back of his head.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"You could have had her last night, you know."

"I already had someone with me Justine!"

"So? Why not have another companion _Andre_!"

"I doubt she saw me anyway with that big head of yours blocking the way!"

"At least I use it wisely!"

Erik shook his head listening to Justine and Andre from a distance. Ever since Justine promised Erik that he would try to do better, things seem to be lightening up with the Company's demeanor. Justine was now his smiling self again and made sure everyone else knew. Although pleased with the light-hearted conversations he was now hearing again among the cast, Erik still felt annoyed with Justine, perhaps even more so now being this close to him in the director role.

"Yes, yes Maestro, that is very good," said Joseph looking at the score intently with Erik. "I think I can have them adapt to that style." Erik looked over at the musicians who were warming up and nodded. Over the last two days Erik was working hard to make last minute changes before Laurette's arrival today. The Company seemed particularly pleased when Erik had told them and eagerly agreed to stay late this evening to practice with her.

It was noon and time for a break. Erik motioned to Gautier and he instructed the Company to return within a half hour, a shorter break time then normal for lunch, but they had no objections knowing time was short to prepare for Laurette today. Erik made his way to the music room, Joseph following and chatting away about the score with more revisions. Erik walked over and sat down at the piano. He turned to grab some of his notes on a table behind him and then saw instead a plate full of pastries with various small sandwiches.

Erik sighed. Maria, as usual, had brought him something to eat. He still was not used to having her around and doing such things for him. She however, was becoming very familiar with him. Within these last two days, she had down a few of his patterns such as the fact he came to the Music Room early in the morning and each day during lunch. There were also a number of little things that he found she was beginning to do for him such as providing the morning paper at breakfast, making sure he had enough blank music sheets, and even providing him with hot tea that he liked in the evening. The fireplace was continually ablaze as she frequently made sure it had enough wood.

He also had to admit that he had not seen the Opera House so sparkling and clean. Maria immediately had a number of servants arrive in the early part of the week and she had dictated quite a few detailed instructions to them. Despite her plump size, she always seemed to be bustling with energy. It was as if she still did not have enough to do in keeping herself occupied which amazed Erik as he felt tired just watching her.

"Well those look tempting," said Joseph looking over at the plate of food. Erik gladly took the plate and gave it to him. He was not hungry at all as he was too keyed up with Laurette's visit today. However, when Maria came in to check on the fire and saw Joseph eating his meal, she could not help herself and gave Erik a frown. She was, as Justine said, a mother type figure and always wanted to make sure he was getting enough nourishment and such nonsense. But Erik could not help but appreciate this as he had never known such a thing. In addition, she would be perfect for Laurette as Erik never saw her eat. Maria would certainly take care of that.

The sound of rain was beginning to emerge on the windows. It was quite dark outside from the storm clouds. It was late Fall and the temperature outside had been dropping. Erik hoped this would not change Monsieur Garier's mind to have Laurette visit the Opera House.

Deciding to take just a momentary break from so much music on his mind, Erik picked up the newspaper Maria had given him that morning. He had not glanced over it as he had been working on the score right at the breakfast table. But Erik froze for a moment when he saw one of the main stories. It was in regards to a murder a few weeks ago and now apparently the "murderer" had struck again around the same area. Joseph saw what he was reading from a distance.

"It appears we have some serial killer on our hands," he said. "Sad, really. First Monsieur Allard and now this other man. Cannot really recall the name, was it Monsieur Martel, I think?"

"How were they murdered?" asked Erik clearly interested in this information. His trap had in fact killed Monsieur Allard, but Erik had nothing to do with this second man.

"Both brutally stabbed to death," said Joseph. "Apparently both were robbed and had similar wounds caused by the same knife."

How the authorities had come to the conclusion that the stab wounds were the same was beyond Erik's understanding. A knife was entirely different then the spears in his trap. Someone had apparently copied off of Monsieur Allard's murder that Erik had portrayed as happening on a dark street. Now they were claiming it was some serial killer. He shook his head slightly and put the paper down. He still had no idea what Monsieur Allard was doing down below or the fat man he found for that matter.

Erik listened to Joseph as he continued to discuss his latest success he was having with one of the inexperienced musicians. Erik did admit that they were sounding better every performance. Not that they were terrible before, but they now seemed extremely adaptable to how the music needed to feel instead of just playing notes from a score.

He and Joseph walked back to the theater. Once more they began to rehearse, working on some difficult areas that Erik wanted to address with Laurette when she arrived. He was hoping there was even the chance somehow she would arrive early, but as the hours went by, it was obvious that was not going occur. In fact, it was now getting quite late. Erik was extremely agitated by this and wondered if Monsieur Garier had in fact changed his mind about allowing Laurette to visit.

"Justine, I already told you once that your introduction begins after the first section, not before. I will _not_ tell you again," said Erik in a low voice. Justine, as usual, did not help ease Erik's frustration.

"But Maestro, it just feels more natural to come in at that time. The song will work better that way."

"It is not your place to tell me that Justine," snapped Erik.

"I meant no disrespect, I just-"

"Enough!"

The cast looked nervously at Erik. He scolded himself silently as he had lost his temper and they had never heard him in such a tone. Seeing their scared faces made Erik sigh and compose himself. He did not need to lose what progress he had already made in convincing them he was a person and not just some mad murderer. He looked back at Justine.

"I am sorry, Justine. I should not have been so short with you and I do in fact want new ideas," said Erik, though still in a more gruff tone then he would have liked. He was angry at Monsieur Garier. Erik paused for a moment looking at his pocket watch. "It is obvious that we will not be seeing Madame Duprey for rehearsal. We will start again tomorrow." The cast nodded with disappointment on their faces, and began to very slowly disperse somewhat. Justine lingered behind.

"And what are you going to do?" asked Justine from the stage as Erik sat down in one of the theater seats and began to write down more thoughts. He looked up at Justine.

"I am going to stay here with the chance that Madame Duprey may still arrive tonight. Most likely she will not as I am sure Monsieur Garier changed his mind," said Erik once again in a harsh tone.

Justine nodded and slowly walked backstage, but Erik noticed none of the Company seemed to be leaving. Dion and Armond began to whisper to a few of the other members. Julia was also talking to Nicole in a quiet voice. If they wanted to make Erik even more irritated, they were succeeding. Armond came forward abruptly on the stage in front of Erik.

"Maestro…we would like to stay." Erik simply looked up at him and did not understand.

"Why?" asked Erik.

Armond looked back at the Company who nodded at him. "Because, if there is any chance Madame Duprey should still arrive, we need to practice with her. And…like you, we are worried that something has happened to her. Why not let us stay and wait with you? We all certainly need the rehearsal time anyway. Most of us had already made arrangements with our families or other jobs to be available this afternoon and evening since we did not know how long we would rehearse. Let us stay and practice."

Erik was startled by this. He had not expected them to actually want to stay into the evening hours for rehearsal, even with Laurette. They were truly a dedicated Company. Erik stood up.

"Alright, let's start on Act III then," said Erik with his hands behind his back. Their faces grinned at him and they eagerly began to take their places. A few, though not very many, still had to leave, Dion being one of them. He apologized due to some family issue, but Erik waved him off that everything was fine. This was beyond expectations already.

Perhaps it was the adrenaline within them as they seemed to accomplish a number of things that Erik wanted to work on. Although he was still concerned as to where Laurette was, the rehearsal made the time pass more quickly. However, that being said, it was still growing late. He drew a breath and began to work on Act V, the Company taking his lead without hesitation.

But then there was an echoing sound of voices that Erik realized was coming from the open entryway outside the theater doors. The cast jumped nervously as they heard the commotion getting louder. One of the theater doors opened and Erik was about to quickly retreat when he recognized the voice as one of the stagehands that was on the lookout. Dion and Armond, Erik remembered, had made sure to have such lookouts to warn the Company if anyone was coming.

"Someone has entered the hall," said the man in a hushed voice. "Wait, oh, it is Dion and…._Madame Duprey_!"

Erik's heart leapt as the man said this, but then was puzzled by the look on the man's face of concern. In fact, he suddenly held the door open wider and reached out to grab something. That something was Laurette, who was barely standing.

Erik quickly walked up the aisle, most of the Company rushing forward as well. Laurette was completely soaked from the rain and shivering. Dion was desperately trying to hold her up with his arm around her and was quite out of breath.

As Erik came before them, Dion looked up. "I was…on my way home and saw her…. from quite a distance. I think…she has been walking for some time. I tried to carry her most of the way…," Dion said still breathing hard and shivering with cold.

Laurette was resting her head on Dion's shoulder; her face looked completely white to Erik. In one swift movement, Erik stepped forward and picked her up into his arms. She seemed to completely become lifeless once he did this, as if she finally gave into the unconsciousness that had been trying to overtake her. Feeling her so limp in his arms made Erik feel frantic with worry and he quickly walked out of the theater to Laurette's suite. He had to get her warm as soon as possible.

But when he walked into her suite and over to Laurette's bed, Erik suddenly realized there was a group of women that had followed directly behind him and they stopped him.

"Please Maestro, if….if you would place her on the chaise, we will make sure to get her out of her wet clothes. We can call you when we are ready to get her into bed," said Nicole.

Erik hesitated, but knew she was right. Laurette had to get out of the dress, his hands already cold from holding her. He turned and gently laid Laurette down on the chaise, the women quickly surrounding her.

Erik turned and walked out of the bedroom where several of the men were anxiously waiting. Dion was still shivering, but now had a large cloak around him and was standing near the fire. Erik immediately walked over to him.

"What happened?" demanded Erik in a dangerously low tone.

"I...I am not sure. When…when I saw her I rushed out to her. She was already barely able to walk. I asked her what she was doing and she…she said she had to walk. Monsieur Garier made…made her walk from wherever he dropped her off outside the city," said Dion still shivering.

"It is almost below freezing out there," said Justine in an angry voice.

"How far did she walk?" asked Maurice. But Dion just shook his head. He had told them everything he knew. Apparently Maria had found out about the situation as she suddenly burst into the suite and waved them out of her way, quickly going into Laurette's room.

"How could someone do that to her?" asked Andre incredulously. Erik was going to say something quite harsh about Monsieur Garier, but then Laurette's bedroom door opened.

"If…If you would help us. We need to get her into bed now," said Nicole.

Erik quickly walked back into Laurette's bedroom. They had dressed her in a warm, white long cotton nightgown with long sleeves. Erik picked her up and then carefully placed her in the bed. Julia began to pull the covers over her.

"No," said Chantel to Julia, "her head is hot to the touch. She is burning already with fever. We need to get her temperature down."

"But she is as cold as ice," protested Olivie.

"But Chantel is right," said Maria, "somehow we have to cool her fever down."

"She is too cold. We have to get her warm," said Nicole. She looked at Erik. He had read extensively about a number of treatments, but he hesitated as he did not want to simply experiment on Laurette. The thought to get her warm seemed like the thing to do despite her temperature.

"We need to call a doctor," said Armond, now appearing behind them.

"Call Doctor Fornier," said Chantel.

"NO!"

They all looked back at Andre who had suddenly disagreed in a loud voice.

"I...I am sorry, but you cannot call him. He uses the bleeding method to rid patients of the fever. He cannot do that," said Andre who seemed extremely concerned about this subject.

Chantel scoffed slightly. "Everyone knows that is a common practice. Bleeding the sick takes the infection out. The method was used to save my sister," said Chantel.

"No, it will kill her. Do you not see how weak she is now? Please Maestro," said Andre to Erik, "My uncle is a doctor. Please…please let me call him."

"Your uncle is Dr. Charette, yes?" asked Chantel.

"Yes," replied Andre in a tone Erik noticed was quiet.

"His so-called new techniques have not been approved by anyone in the medical society! He is dangerous," said Chantel. Andre glared at her but then turned his attention back to Erik.

"I promise you, Maestro…he is the best. Others are only afraid of what they do not understand. He dares to be different from the medical society because he has evidence and success in doing so. You must trust me!"

Erik looked at both of them. He really had no idea who was a known reputable doctor. However, bleeding someone in his knowledge of death tactics certainly did not sound like a cure for Laurette. And if someone dared to be different from what society expected, Erik only saw that as something good.

"Call him," said Erik to Andre.

Andre gave him a grateful look while Chantel frowned disapprovingly. He quickly made his way out of the room. Maria began to push everyone out of the room except for Erik.  
"There is nothing more you can do right now," she said to them, "come back tomorrow when we know more from the doctor. Go home!"

Many of them muttered in protest, but knew she was right. They finally departed slowly and Maria closed the entry door to Laurette's suite. Returning to the bedroom she looked at Laurette in despair, but tried to give Erik a comforting look.

"She will be alright. The doctor is coming. He will take care of her," said Maria. Erik said nothing, standing at the side of Laurette's bed looking down at her. Maria did not know about their relationship so he refrained from sitting down on the bed and instead sat in a nearby armchair.

"Do you need anything?" Maria asked.

"Thank you…no. I will stay with her until the doctor arrives," said Erik. Maria tried to protest but he quickly told her to leave as kindly as he could. He needed to be alone with her. Maria bowed and quietly left the room

After he heard the door close, Erik got up and walked over to her bed. Reaching out to hold her hand, he sat down next to her. He reached up and stroked her wet hair away from her ghostly white face. Erik glanced up and saw his reflection in a mirror over a dresser. He would never forgive himself if Laurette died from this.

A few hours passed and Erik had not moved from Laurette's side. He finally heard footsteps quickly coming up the outside hallway and then the voice of Andre.

"Maestro? My Uncle is coming," Andre whispered. Erik quickly disappeared behind the secret mirror. He then watched as a very tall, slender man wearing glasses rushed into the room. Upon removing his hat, Erik saw that he had a full head of silver hair complete with a matching moustache. He carried a black bag that he quickly sat down upon Laurette's bed. This apparently was Dr. Charette, Andre's uncle.

"Mary, bring me a few more blankets," said the man motioning to the woman who had followed behind him. She was an older, slender woman with very light brown hair pinned up under a small white hat. She was dressed in an all white dress that Erik recognized must be a nurse.

Quickly opening the bag, Dr. Charette took out a stethoscope and placed it around his head to his ears. Erik averted his eyes for a moment when he saw the doctor with his hand holding the end of the stethoscope slip inside the neckline of Laurette's gown to listen to her heart. He felt slightly tense at the fact that a man was touching her in such a manner, but then Mary came rushing back in with the blankets and did not even give him a second look as he did this. Apparently this was routine in such an examination. She quickly spread out a few heavy blankets over the covers already on Laurette.

"Bowl of cold water Mary, please," said Dr. Charette as he continued to listen to Laurette's chest, moving the stethoscope about under Laurette's nightgown. Mary nodded and quickly left the room again. Dr. Charette removed the stethoscope and then held Laurette's wrist with his fingers while he looked at his watch as he did this for a few minutes. Finished, he placed his hand onto Laurette's forehead frowning. Mary returned carrying a large bowl of water and set it down on the nightstand next to Laurette's bed. She took a small towel soaked with water from the bowl and wrung it out, then placed it across Laurette's head.

Rummaging through his bag, Erik watched as Dr. Charette then took out a syringe with a fairly long needle. Erik clenched his jaw as he watched Dr. Charette fill it with a liquid from a small bottle, and then plunged the needle into Laurette's upper arm. But Laurette gave no response. She was still completely unconscious.

"May I come in yet Uncle?" called a voice outside the bedroom. Erik recognized it was Andre.

"No," said Dr. Charette. "I am not done with my exam yet, I will let you know."

Erik watched as the doctor then pulled back the covers and placed his hands on Laurette's stomach, thankfully, this time still outside of her nightgown. Erik again surmised this was normal for an exam, but it still bothered him to see a man touching Laurette in such an intimate way. Dr. Charette's hands pressed in different areas along her stomach and side as he looked at her face for any signs of reaction. He drew the covers over her once more.

"Mary, help me tilt her head back." The woman came to the head of the bed and gently tilted Laurette's chin up. Dr. Charette took both hands and placed them along the underside of her jaw line and close to her neck. His long, slender fingers made circular motions as he continued to try and feel whatever he was searching for. Satisfied, he sat up straight and nodded to Mary.

"You can call Andre in." Mary quickly left the room while Dr. Charette refreshed the towel in the bowl of cold water, then placed it back on Laurette's head.

"Is it serious Uncle?" asked Andre with a worried face entering into the room with Maria right behind him. Dr. Charette sighed.

"She has pneumonia - I can hear the congestion in her lungs. But the largest problem is her fever. Her symptoms of severe chills from the cold have produced quite a bit of body heat causing the fever. We have to keep her very warm which should help to naturally bring it down. However, it helps to still keep her head cool with the cold water. But with the severity of her fever, I think we need to try and assist things a little faster. Mary, try to find some ice if you could."

"This way Madame," said Maria and Mary followed her out of the room.

"Will she be alright?" asked Andre. This is exactly what Erik wanted to ask.

"It depends on how long her fever lasts. My hope is that it will come down in time. However, should what we are doing not work, I may need to place her in a tub of cool water."

"But she is already freezing Uncle."

"Yes, which is why I hope curing her chills with warmth will bring it down naturally on its own. We do not need for her to produce more chills which will only prolong the fever. But unfortunately, if the fever climbs too high, we will have no choice but to try such a temporary measure in cold water. Otherwise, the fever will take her life anyway," said Dr. Charette. Erik's heart froze as the doctor admitted that such a thing as death could happen to Laurette.

"What else can we do?" asked Andre.

"I am sorry Andre, but we need to wait and let her natural healing take over. Only then can we tell what our actions will be," said Dr. Charette. "I did give her a shot with something Louis Pasteur has been working on that I have had some success with in patients. In fact, I am seeing him again next week so I certainly hope to only have good results for him. But in the meantime, we will need to wait. Andre, you need to go home and get some rest. I will stay by her side." Andre sighed heavily.

"I do not know if the Company could bear if anything happened to her, Uncle. We have come so far in these last weeks without her," said Andre.

"Yes…I have heard the stories that the Company being on their own without her. How is it that such an inexperienced Company can in fact be operating without any director?" asked Dr. Charette eyeing his nephew.

"Well, um…," Andre paused while Erik cringed. "Gautier…Gautier is helping…and the conductor, he is too."

"I see," said Dr. Charette in a grave tone shaking his head. "And my guess is that you have gotten very little support from Monsieur Garier. It certainly appears he has little concern for Madame Duprey directing and rehearsing with you in the condition she is in now. My God, Andre, what is it that you have gotten yourself into? Even if Madame Duprey does recover, I do not possibly see how the Company will succeed this time."

"Well, thank you for _your_ support Uncle," said Andre sarcastically, his eyes glaring at him.

"I mean no harm," said Dr. Charette as he looked up to see Maria and Mary returning. "You know I promised your mother to look out for you. And if Monsieur Garier did this to someone, what will he do to you?"

"I promise, Uncle, everything will be fine. If Madame Duprey recovers…we…we are doing quite well actually."

"Thank you," said Dr. Charette to Mary as she handed him a bag of ice. He withdrew a few large pieces, removed the towel from Laurette's head, and gently rubbed it across her forehead. The he replaced the cool towel over top. "Go home, Andre. Get some sleep. I will let you know if her condition changes."

"Very well," Andre began to leave but then stopped in the doorway and turned to face Dr. Charette once more. "Uncle, I…I just wanted to say thank you for helping her."

"Well, I certainly could not have that mad man Fornier cutting her open now could I?" asked Dr. Charette with a smile. "Go on."

Andre bowed his head and left.

"You too Maria, go on. Mary, I will stay here the night. Go home and let me know if you hear anything further on Mademoiselle Etienne's condition." Mary nodded and Erik was suddenly surprised as she walked over and gave Dr. Charette a quick, gentle kiss. He smiled at her and patted her hand.

"I will see you in the morning Paul. Please try to get some rest," Mary said to him. He nodded and then moved from Laurette's bed to the armchair Erik had been sitting in earlier. She retrieved another blanket from a closet and placed it over him.

"Good night," Mary said.

"Good night," Dr. Charette replied. She smiled and walked out of the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Settling himself in the chair, Dr. Charette pulled the blanket over him. But then he frowned when he looked at Laurette. He took the blanket off him, walked back over to Laurette's bed, and then spread the blanket on top of her with the other blankets, tucking it around her body. Satisfied, he went back and settled into the chair to sleep while Erik still kept vigilant behind the mirror for the rest of the night.

In the early light hours of the morning, Dr. Charette woke and did another examination of Laurette. He removed the towel from her head and began to rinse it with the water in the bowl. But apparently it must have not been cold enough as Dr. Charette frowned. Shaking his hands free of water, he picked up the bowl and left the room leaving the door open.

Erik quietly emerged slightly closing the door in case he returned too quickly. Looking at Laurette, he sat down once more next to her on the bed and caressed her face with his fingers. Laurette had made no movement and her head still felt hot to the touch. The hair around her face was damp, not from the earlier rain, but the perspiration she had from being with such a high fever. Erik held her hand, stroking it with his. But then he heard footsteps approaching and Erik gently placed her hand on her stomach and retreated behind the mirror.

Dr. Charette opened the door all the way and set the bowl on the nightstand once more. Erik observed this time it was full of floating ice cubes and the doctor quickly wrung out the towel then placed it back on Laurette's head.

To Erik's surprise, Dr. Charette suddenly reached out to Laurette's hand, a puzzled look upon his face. He then got up and walked back over to the door, opening it slightly and looking out of the room. Shaking his head, Dr. Charette closed the door and sat back down in the armchair. Erik continued to wait and watched as the doctor examined Laurette.

Finally morning, Maria bustled in to check on things, bringing Dr. Charette coffee. But he gave her no further news in change of Laurette's condition. Mary returned, bringing some various books and folders with her. She kissed him lightly.

"You are too dedicated, my love. How is she?" asked Mary.

"The same," said Dr. Charette sipping his coffee. "Although at least the fever does not appear to have climbed any higher. My hope is that we have already seen the peak of it."

"Well, you need to make your other patient visits so I will stay with her," said Mary. Dr. Charette nodded and set his coffee down. Gathering up his things, he made one final check on Laurette and then left.

Erik continued to watch Laurette from behind the mirror for the rest of the day. He had heard Justine and a few others arrive outside Laurette's bedroom, inquiring to Mary about her condition. He knew he should go to the theater and hold rehearsal with the Company, but he could not bear the thought of leaving her should something happen. A few times Mary left the room and Erik secretly sat with Laurette once more, holding her hand, touching her face, then leaving quickly when he heard footsteps approaching.

Later in the evening, Maria walked into the room as Mary sat reading in the armchair.

"I really hate to ask you, Madame…," Maria looked at Mary reluctantly.

"What is wrong?" Mary asked.

"Well, I was wondering…I was wondering if you would mind making some tea. I…I do not know how your husband takes his tea. He will be returning, yes?"

"Yes," said Mary laughing slightly. "But goodness Maria, he will most appreciate anything you give him. I realize while I am his wife and know his taste, but I assure you it will be fine."

"Yes…thank you," said Maria still hesitating and looking unsure. Mary shook her head.

"I can see this is important to you. You are very dedicated to please whoever it is you serve. Madame Duprey is very lucky to have you," said Mary. "I will go to the kitchen and fix Dr. Charette's favorite tea if it will make you feel better. He should be arriving shortly."

"I only want to make sure and please him for such kindness," said Maria. "I will stay with Madame." Mary nodded and left. Then to Erik's surprise, Maria turned and faced the mirror. "Please Maestro, you have not eaten anything all day. Please come out."

Sighing and annoyed that Maria seemed to know him already so well, Erik stepped through the secret mirror. Did this mean she also knew of the relationship between him and Laurette?

"Thank you," said Maria now smiling at him as she handed him a plate of sandwiches she had brought.

"It is I who should be thanking you," replied Erik accepting the plate. "I should have known you would find a way to distract Mary."

"Yes, well, sit while you can…please. I do not know how long she will be."

Erik sat down in the armchair next to Laurette. Once he began to eat, only then did he realize how hungry he actually was. He had completely ignored his own needs, only thinking of Laurette. He watched as Maria refreshed the towel with cold water and gently patted Laurette's face with it. Then they both heard footsteps and voices. Erik set the empty plate on the nightstand and retreated behind the mirror once more.

"Hello Maria," said Dr. Charette warmly to her as he entered the bedroom with Mary following. "Mary tells me you insisted on her making tea for me. Really, I am not too selective when I am watching over patients like this. Although…I admit it is rather nice to see my wife providing such care for me once in a while." He looked over and smiled at Mary who seemed to give him a rueful look.

"Is there anything else I can bring you?" asked Maria.

"No, thank you. You have done more then enough." Dr. Charette turned to his wife. "It is time for you to go home and get some sleep my dear."

"I not only hope Madame Duprey regains her health for her life, but also so my husband can sleep in his own bed! I hope you will try to get some rest if you can," said Mary with a worried look upon her face. He smiled and kissed her good night. Then both women left the room.

Later in the night, Dr. Charette left the room for more ice. Erik emerged and kissed Laurette's forehead. It was still very warm. How much longer could she last like this? What would the Company do if she died? What would _he_ do if she died? He already knew the answer to his own question as nothing would then be holding him back to join her in death. Though sadly, Erik realized even in death he would most likely unable to be with her as he was already condemned to hell.

Suddenly the door swung open. Erik reacted in an instant and was quickly before the mirror just seconds away from opening it.

"Wait," said a voice. Erik stopped and slowly looked into the mirror. He saw the reflection of Dr. Charette behind him. "I do not know who you are, but it is obvious that you care a great deal about her. I know you have been visiting her whenever we have been out of the room."

Erik slowly turned around and faced the doctor, his head raising high. Dr. Charette was about the same height as Erik, taller then most men he had seen. Erik said nothing but eyed him carefully. Although Dr. Charette was Andre's Uncle, he was still unsure of complete trust in this man.

"I knew someone was visiting her," Dr. Charette continued, "I realized it last night when I returned and saw her hand had moved. Then I realized that the door had been half shut."

Erik was surprised that the doctor had first noticed such a small thing as Laurette's hand changing position. It had in fact changed after Erik had been holding it. But it made Erik realize that Dr. Charette was indeed paying attention to every small detail in regards to Laurette in watching her closely.

"You know, I believe that it helps patients to have friends and family near them, even when they are in a state such as this. She may be unconscious, but I believe she knows you are here."

Erik still said nothing, but looked over at Laurette. His heart was heavy and he badly wanted to see her smile at him. But her eyes did not open.

"Please…sit. I still need to go and fetch some more ice. I suspected someone was going to come in the room which is why I lingered behind," said the doctor now looking at Erik sheepishly. "My instincts were right. Sit with her while I am gone."

Erik hesitated, but at this point knew his identity was already in jeopardy with so many knowing now. Did it matter that one more knew as he was destined to be killed like his victims? He slowly walked over and sat down on the bed. Reaching out, Erik once more held Laurette's hand. The doctor nodded and left the room.

Later, Erik heard voices in a nearby room. He was nervous that whoever they were would suddenly enter Laurette's bedroom. He softly kissed her hand and then went back into the secret corridor. He walked along the secret passageway toward the voices until Erik could clearly hear them. He had no way of looking in the area they were standing in, but he stopped and closely listened. Erik recognized it was Dr. Charette and Andre.

"My God, Andre…are you saying that…that is who I think it is?" Erik heard Dr. Charette ask.

"Yes, Uncle…please, you will not say anything, will you?"

"But you _know_ what he is, Andre!"

"Madame Duprey seems to trust him."

"Andre, of all people, _you_ should know what kind of man he is! I cannot even believe you are not angry!"

This comment from Dr. Charette was odd to Erik. Although he more then expected such a reaction, Dr. Charette seemed to truly have something angry and bitter against the Opera Ghost. Then Erik realized that perhaps the doctor treated some of the victims from his night of madness causing the chandelier to plunge onto the audience below.

"I am not saying that I was excited about the idea, Uncle! But even I have to admit, he is our only hope. He has shown only kindness to us and to Madame Duprey! How is it that you think she could have even done the last production by herself? Even you had commented that it was some miracle she had done such a thing. He was helping her. He is helping _us_!"

Erik was pleased with Andre's defensive words about him. He did not know Andre quite well other then his constant companionship with Justine which, in Erik's opinion, was something he could do without.

"I will not say anything Andre. But I would caution you to be weary of whom it is that you see. I do not believe you are in fact seeing the side of the real man that helps you."

Erik cautiously moved back to Laurette's room. But when he got there, he hesitated to go inside. Dr. Charette returned with the ice and looked around the room to only see Laurette. Erik had walked slowly down below to his home.

The next morning Erik woke and quickly made his way up to the Opera House. He was so tired from staying up in the last few days that he had not felt like facing another person that hated him. But now Erik was determined to return to Laurette, wanting to make sure she was hopefully still hanging onto her life with a fight.

When Erik peered through the mirror in Laurette's bedroom, he could see Dr. Charette asleep in the armchair next to Laurette's bed. Carefully, he walked through the secret mirror and once again sat down on Laurette's bed.

"I was wondering when you were going to return."

Startled, Erik sharply looked at the doctor who was now sitting up in the chair. This agitated him that someone seemed to be as stealthy as him in such quietness to the complete surprise of others. It was something only Erik was used to doing and in control, not the other way around.

But Dr. Charette simply stood up and went once more to check on Laurette. Much to the discomfort of Erik, the doctor took out his stethoscope once more and began to listen intently to Laurette's chest, his hand once again inside the neckline of her gown. Erik turned his eyes away, unable to watch as he did this.

"Slightly better," said the doctor quietly. "Her heart does not seem to be working as hard as it was, though she still has a fever. But the chills for the most part are gone. That should be helping, or at least soon I hope." To the relief of Erik, the doctor removed his stethoscope and placed it back into his bag. He then reached up and probed along the underside of Laurette's jaw line down her neck.

"Good, I do not see any further swelling in her lymph nodes," said Dr. Charette still pressing his fingers near her neck. He sat back in the armchair satisfied.

"So," said Dr. Charette taking off his glasses and cleaning them with a handkerchief, "just what is your name?"

Erik looked at the doctor somewhat suspiciously. He had not even said a word to this man since they met. But he knew that the doctor appeared very dedicated in watching over Laurette, so there must be some trust in such a man.

"Erik."

"I am Dr. Charette, but you may call me Paul. Really, the whole doctor title thing is much too formal," he replied extending his hand to Erik who accepted his handshake and then returned his gaze back to Laurette. "So…I understand from my nephew that you have been helping them with the production?" Erik looked back up at Dr. Charette who was now putting back on his glasses.

"Yes," Erik replied simply.

"Why?"

"Because…," Erik hesitated for a moment. Why could he not just help to be kind? But Dr. Charette was also suspicious of him which was why he was asking. "Because she asked me to," finished Erik truthfully looking back at Laurette.

"I see."

Suddenly the door opened and Maria appeared. Erik knew she had not slept all night. If she was not on her way to bed, Erik would not hesitate now to order her to do so.

"I thought I would check in on you one last time before I – oh!" Maria stopped startled by Erik sitting in the room.

"Maria, it is alright. This is a friend of Madame Duprey," said Dr. Charette with a worried look upon his face. Maria looked at Erik who could not help but smile in amusement. Maria smiled back.

"Actually Dr. Charette, it was the Maestro here that hired me," said Maria. She laughed lightly at the doctor's reaction.

"Oh…so…so you know about him."

"Well, yes of course. Now, before I catch a quick nap, is there anything I can get either of you? Maestro, if I had known you had introduced yourself to the doctor, I would have brought you some hot tea. I will get it for you."

"No Maria, thank you," said Erik shaking his head. "You should get some sleep."

"Oh nonsense! You have been vigilant over Madame for the past few days! I think it is you who need the rest. Now, I will be back in a moment with your tea. Doctor?"

"Well…coffee would be nice," said Dr. Charette still trying to comprehend that Maria was Erik's servant.

"Of course, I will be right back." Maria bustled out of the room with what Erik thought was a happy eagerness that she was doing this for them.

"So…how many servants do you have?" asked Dr. Charette. Erik suddenly laughed and shook his head.

"I assure you, just Maria. She only just joined me this past week to help in supervising cleaning responsibilities for the Opera House. She is more then enough for what little I personally need," said Erik.

Dr. Charette broke into a smile. "Just how many people know about you?" he asked.

"Far too many," replied Erik stroking Laurette's hand.

"And yet you are taking the risk because she asked you?"

"Yes."

Both were quiet for a moment and then the door opened with Maria returning. Erik was not surprised she came back so quickly as most likely she already had coffee and tea ready to serve at a moments notice. She happily brought in a tray with the coffee and tea surrounded by various pastries.

"Well, thank you," said Dr. Charette clearly impressed and already eyeing the food on the tray as Maria handed him coffee.

"I can certainly get more if you like. In fact, I'll be sure to stop back in again later to check and see if there is anything else you need," said Maria who was now handing Erik his tea.

"No, you will not," said Erik in a rather stern voice to her. "It is time for you to go to sleep." She responded with almost a glare at him but then caught herself when Dr. Charette laughed at her expression.

"He is right, Maria. Really, we are fine. I am sure I can think of a few things I may need later. So why not get some sleep," said Dr. Charette still smiling.

"Oh all right," said Maria still fussing a bit and yet happy that the doctor may have some other chores for her to do. She gave a slight curtsy and left the room.

"Does she ever get tired?" asked Dr. Charette.

"No."

"Well, with that much energy I can see how she is managing the cleaning of this opera house," laughed Dr. Charette. "I forgot how enormous it is. I have not visited for quite some time."

"When was the last time?" asked Erik wondering if he had seen the doctor in the audience.

"Oh quite some time ago. Actually, more like ten years ago. You know, my wife and I used to come to the opera all the time. It was rare for us to miss any new performances," said Dr. Charette sipping his coffee.

"Why did you stop?" asked Erik.

Dr. Charette sighed for a moment absently stirring his coffee with the cream Maria had provided. "Because it no longer was the joy to us we once knew. It became more about meeting and impressing the people who attended then the performance itself."

Erik nodded. "That still happens."

"Yes, but Madame Duprey seems to have changed that, hasn't she? Actually, I was as guilty of participating in such a fake high society. When I was much younger, it was very important for me to be well thought of, to be respected and gain credibility in my medical practice. I would practically do anything to impress especially those on the medical board. Mary and I used to host countless dinners," said Dr. Charette smiling.

"What happened?" asked Erik.

"There was a wonderful family that lived nearby us. The mother suddenly became very ill. I watched as my peer doctors performed painful after painful procedure on her. Not that I hadn't seen such things before, but I suppose it was because I knew her that suddenly made me have more feeling for the care of patients. It is easy for a doctor to become unattached when studying and analyzing illness. Unfortunately she died and it left quite an imprint on me with the husband and children she left behind. I began to question, experiment with more common sense treatments with patients. And it worked. While it should have been viewed as an accomplishment, it was not in the eyes of the medical society. I had broken from traditional treatment that had been used for years. But I knew they were wrong and I no longer cared what they thought.

Not that I do not have still some influence. There are a few very powerful members on the board that actually believe in what I am doing. Sometimes they have even successfully defended me in my practices. But we are still a long way off from breaking with tradition."

"Well, thank you for taking care of Laurette," said Erik sincerely.

"Laurette? Ah, so that is her name," said Dr. Charette smiling. "There is little known about her aside from serving with Monsieur Beaumont. But the Company does seem truly dedicated to her from what I hear," said Dr. Charette. He finished his coffee and placed it on the tray.

"Yes, they are," replied Erik softly. Gazing at Laurette he badly wanted to kiss her, but refrained from doing so with the doctor in the room.

"And just how is it that you met Madame Duprey?" asked Dr. Charette now folding his hands in his lap and leaning back into the chair.

Erik hesitated, unsure if he should say very much. No one knew of his relationship with Laurette although Maria and now Dr. Charette seem to be guessing at such a thing. He had not discussed with Laurette about telling anyone. He was fairly sure that she would not want to discuss such a private thing to maintain her professional relationship with the Company.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well…I was just curios I suppose. It probably is an improper question to ask," said Dr. Charette looking over at Laurette.

Silence followed for a few moments and Erik then spoke carefully. "When I observed how Monsieur Garier was treating her, I decided to help her. She was the only reason this Opera House has come alive once more and I had to provide something in return," said Erik quietly.

"Monsieur Garier…is an idiot," said the doctor moving forward on his chair. He reached out to the tray and grabbed one of the pastries from Maria's tray. "Spoiled, arrogant…he is ruthless in his quest for riches and power."

Now Erik was sure he would like the doctor. "Yes, well…he certainly has power over Laurette," said Erik still stroking her hand.

"Why doesn't she just quit?"

"Because," said Erik, "this has been her dream. Not to mention that Monsieur Garier would most likely terminate most of the Company, except maybe Justine."

"Ah yes, Justine. I have tried telling Andre that he is not the best influence on him. But Andre can be stubborn and is still very much a free spirit like Justine," said the doctor smiling and now munching on the pastry.

"Andre is also very talented. In fact, he would most likely be the star if not for Justine. But even I have to admit that Justine has quite a voice," said Erik sighing.

"Yes, yes, so I have heard. Well, actually I haven't literally heard him, but Andre certainly raves about him," said Dr. Charette now wiping his hands with a napkin.

Erik reached over and took a drink of tea. Setting the cup back down, he looked at Laurette. He felt completely helpless…and angry that this all had happened. There was suddenly a knock on the door.

"Uncle?"

"Yes, Andre what is it?" asked the Doctor in an almost annoyed tone.

"Maria told me the Maestro is with you. May I come in?"

Dr. Charette looked at Erik who was still sitting on the bed. He released Laurette's hand and took a seat in a nearby chair.

"Alright Andre, come in," said Dr. Charette.

"Good morning Uncle, Maestro," said Andre as he stepped inside the room. "How is Madame?"

"The same I am afraid," replied Dr. Charette.

"Oh," said Andre with a worried look upon his face. He looked at Erik. "You did not come to rehearsal yesterday. Although I must admit we did not feel like rehearsing anyway under the circumstances. But we are all here again today. Will you be coming down to the theater?"

Erik was quiet. He did not want to leave Laurette.

"I am sure she would want you to rehearse with the Company," said Dr. Charette quietly. "I promise I will let you know should something happen where she is taking a turn for the worse. But let's remain optimistic. Only time will tell."

"Please Maestro?" Andre was still looking hopeful at Erik. Dr. Charette was right; Laurette would have wanted him to continue. Perhaps if anything it would also make the time waiting for the outcome of Laurette's illness pass by more quickly.

"Alright Andre," sighed Erik. "Tell them I will be down momentarily."

Andre smiled and left the room. Erik stood up and walked back over to Laurette's bed. Dr. Charette took the towel from Laurette's head and began to rinse it in the bowl. No longer caring what the doctor thought, Erik bent down and kissed her forehead. He just had to do such a thing before he left her. The thought of her passing away with him not in the room still weighed heavily on his mind. Erik wanted to be with her no matter what the outcome.

"I will not leave her," said Dr. Charette in an assured voice to Erik. He placed the cool towel back on her head. Erik only nodded and then slowly left the room, taking the secret passageway behind the mirror.

By the time he reached the theater, Erik could already hear the musicians tuning their instruments and the chorus warming up. In fact, when he came onto the stage he saw Justine actually leading them in the warm-up exercises. This should have pleased Erik, but he was only thinking of Laurette at the moment, still wondering if he should go back to her room and forget this.

"Maestro!"

It was Julia. She was the first to see him and was quickly walking up to him. The other members of the cast soon followed.

"Andre tells us there is no change with Madame Duprey," said Julia anxiously looking at Erik. "But we all have faith that she will get better." She had a determined smile on her face. The cast all nodded. Seeing Julia's smile made Erik feel slightly better. They were all just as concerned as he was.

"Well, we might as well rehearse to prepare for her return," said Justine.

Erik nodded. "Yes, let's begin from the beginning, shall we?" said Erik.

Joseph quickly flipped the score to the beginning and the musicians took their seats. The cast dispersed, taking their positions. Erik observed Philippe quickly climbing up to the catwalks above to take charge of the sets. He slowly walked down the steps off the stage to sit and observe from the theater seats.

The Company worked hard, most likely feeling as if they needed to be brave and continue with their efforts in spirit for Laurette. They worked tirelessly into the afternoon, taking few breaks. However, by late day, Erik saw the Company beginning to tire and told Gautier to end rehearsal. He stayed for a few moments talking with some of the cast about various issues with scenes, but then at the first chance, quickly departed to return to Laurette's room.

Upon coming into the room, Erik saw Dr. Charette stand up from his chair giving him a broad smile. "There he is," said Dr. Charette looking back at Laurette. She slowly turned her head toward Erik, her eyes now open.

Erik quickly strode over to the bed, unbelieving that she was finally awake. He sat down holding her hand, his other hand caressing the side of her face. Laurette managed to give him a weak smile and Erik kissed her hand, still looking at her.

"Her temperature finally broke. She still has a long recovery ahead of her, but my hope is that now she is finally past any real danger for now," said Dr. Charette still smiling. He began to pack up a few things that he had taken out of his bag.

Erik was still trying to cope with the reality that Laurette was actually looking at him. A huge weight had been lifted and he was so happy that his heart was pounding. Laurette's eyes were heavy as she looked at him, still trying to smile.

"She won't stay awake much longer," said Dr. Charette looking at her, "I gave her a shot of more medicine. It tends to make patients drowsy." He patted Laurette's other hand. "Sleep is what you need anyway. It is the body's own natural healing power." He looked at Erik. "I am going to check on some of my other patients but Mary will be here later. I will also most likely return this evening to check on things. Get some sleep," the doctor said looking once more at Laurette. She said nothing, still trying to stay awake.

"Thank you," said Erik. He stood up and gratefully shook the doctor's hand. Dr. Charette smiled.

"You're welcome," he replied and he patted Erik on the back of the shoulder in a friendly gesture as he made his way to the door. But then he turned back around to face Erik before he left. "No matter what your past, I must admit that I can see you really do have a great deal of heart. Thank you for watching out for her and helping my nephew with his fellow cast members." And before Erik could say anything further, Dr. Charette turned and left the room.

Erik bent down and kissed Laurette's forehead. It was no longer warm, but actually cool. However her face still appeared very pale. He sat down on the bed, once more holding her hand.

"I thought I had lost you," said Erik quietly, kissing her hand once more.

"I… am… sorry," she whispered, struggling to speak. Erik shook his head and touched her face again.

"Go to sleep Laurette," he said, gently caressing her cheek. How badly he wanted to kiss her lips but he did not as she needed to sleep. Her smile faded and Erik watched as her eyes closed, finally giving in to the effects of whatever medicine the doctor had given her.

He breathed a deep sigh of relief, and then looked at the music he had brought with him sitting on the bed. Picking it up, he moved over to the armchair next to her bed. With his spirits finally lifted once more, Erik let his creative thoughts flow and worked into the evening.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Good evening, Monsieur," said Mary.

Erik was completely startled as he was so engrossed in his thoughts with the music he was working on that he had not even heard the door open. He put the music aside on the table next to him and stood up. Apparently Dr. Charette must have told her about him as Mary was simply smiling at him.

"You must be Erik of course. My name is Mary," she said and Erik bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Has she woken at all since my husband left?"

"No," said Erik shaking his head. He had worried slightly about this the past few hours wondering if she would ever wake again. Mary took off her knitted shawl and set it down with a bag she had brought on Laurette's dresser.

"We must be sure to get her to drink water," said Mary walking over to a nearby pitcher that Maria had left on the tray. "It is quite important that she get plenty of fluids. She hasn't eaten or drank in these last few days and she is quite dehydrated." Mary poured water from the pitcher into a glass. She walked over and sat down on Laurette's bed right next to Erik where he was standing.

"Let's see if she will wake shall we?" Mary reached out and began to caress Laurette's face. "Madame? You need to wake. Madame? Yes, that is it, you can do it," Mary said as Laurette seem to struggle in her sleep. "She is so very weak it is easy for her to slip back into unconsciousness. Yes, there you go Madame."

To Erik's relief, Laurette had finally managed to open her eyes, but was indeed extremely weak and barely able to hold them open.

"If you would take a moment to help me Monsieur...We need to sit her up slightly and force her to drink."

Erik did not like the idea of forcing Laurette to do anything, but he knew Mary was right. He came closer and bent down, gently putting his arm underneath Laurette's shoulders and slowly lifted her up. Mary placed her free hand behind Laurette's head to steady her.

"You must drink Madame," said Mary and then she firmly placed the glass to Laurette's lips, forcing her mouth to open.

Her first attempt was not a successful one as Laurette could not seem to swallow what little Mary gave her. Her breathing had become much heavier and the water only seemed to spill from her mouth. But Mary seemed quite determined, most likely having done this quite a few times with other patients. With Erik still holding Laurette, Mary once again forced her mouth open and then suddenly Laurette did in fact swallow the water, but it was much to her discomfort as she suddenly turned her head away in pain, coughing.

"I know your throat is sore Madame. But we need to try again. You must drink," said Mary firmly. "If you could please help me in holding her head so she cannot turn away Monsieur. Yes, that's it."

Erik had now placed his free hand around Laurette's lower jaw. For someone as weak as Laurette, she still seemed determined to turn her head away when Mary once again forced her to drink. He tightened his grasp and forced her to remain still. He hoped this would be over soon as he hated doing this to her.

"Excellent," said Mary as another mouthful of water was successfully swallowed by Laurette. Nodding, Mary released Laurette and sat up. Relieved, Erik gently laid her back down on the pillows. Laurette was still coughing slightly and breathing quite hard.

"Such a small thing such as this is exhausting for her with so little strength taken by the illness," Mary explained to Erik as he looked at Laurette with worry. "Now that she has gotten some water in her, things will begin to progress. We'll have to force her to drink every hour."

_Wonderful_, thought Erik unhappily as he smoothed Laurette's hair away from her face. She seemed to quiet down as he did this so he continued to stroke her hair softly.

"You are very comforting to her Monsieur," said Mary. "I don't believe I've ever seen a patient quiet so quickly. You soothe her well."

Erik said nothing though he was in a sense pleased with this. Still, it had to give Mary some idea of his relationship with Laurette. Did it matter at this point?

Time slowly passed and Erik continued to assist Mary every hour, forcing Laurette to drink. He hated this and yet Erik was pleased that he could finally see some color returning to Laurette's face. She was still too weak to remain awake for long, however, and slept most of the time. When not forcing her to drink, Erik worked silently on the production and Mary sat in another nearby chair reading. While both seemed to want to be polite and talk, they both did not want to disturb Laurette sleeping. Finally, Dr. Charette arrived late in the night and made Mary return home.

"She is doing much better," said the doctor listening to her heart with his stethoscope inside Laurette's neckline which once again made Erik irritated. He knew the doctor was only being professional, but Erik couldn't seem to get past the fact that another man was touching her in such a manner. The thought of Monsieur Garier touching Laurette in an intimate way suddenly came into Erik's thoughts and he tightened his fists as he sat in the armchair next to her bed.

"Are you alright?"

Erik looked up and realized Dr. Charette was looking at him.

"Yes," Erik lied.

"Well, you have to be extremely tired. Why don't you leave and get some sleep?"

"No, I prefer to remain here with her."

"Erik," said Dr. Charette tilting his head at him, "You know I will not leave her. What good are you to her if _you_ suddenly become sick?"

"I haven't seen _you_ sleep," replied Erik in a low tone.

"I actually slept a few hours before I came here. I saw my last patient in the late afternoon and then went home for a while."

"How is it that you can even keep such a schedule?" asked Erik still annoyed at the thought of leaving Laurette.

The doctor laughed. "I suppose I've become used to it. In fact, I firmly believe most things seem to happen only at night. I can't even remember the last time I delivered a child during daylight hours!"

Erik's mood lifted slightly at Dr. Charette's comment. He knew the doctor was only trying to be lighthearted and concerned for Erik's own health. He sighed, looking at Laurette who had quickly fallen back to sleep after the last attempt to get her to drink.

"Alright," Erik finally said. Erik kissed Laurette on the forehead and retreated through the secret mirror. He did indeed feel extremely tired and retired to his bed for a few hours.

Finally emerging after what he felt was like an eternity, Erik bathed and put on fresh clothes. He felt much better and quickly made his way back up to the Opera House. Someone was shouting. Realizing it was coming from Laurette's room, Erik hastily made his way to the mirror.

"You cannot tell me what to do! I am the owner of this opera house and if she wants to keep her job, then she will come with me!" shouted Monsieur Garier at the doctor who was still calmly sitting in the armchair next to Laurette. Her eyes were now open and Erik could see that she was once again breathing hard, most likely upset at Monsieur Garier's presence.

"If you do not leave Monsieur, then I will remove you by force if I have to," said Dr. Charette in a controlled voice.

"Oh please old man! I would love to see you try!"

Dr. Charette stood up.

Suddenly realizing that the doctor was serious, Monsieur Garier scoffed. "Fine! I don't want to get this suit ruined – I just had it made. So I will leave _doctor_," he said sarcastically. "But I assure you, I will return. In fact, I think she needs another opinion. Perhaps Dr. Fornier would assist me," said Monsieur Garier with a smile.

Dr. Charette's reaction was very sudden. He strode over to Monsieur Garier who backed away against the wall. "_I_ am her doctor," he said in an angry voice towering over him, "and _I_ will make the decisions as to _when_ she can perform."

Monsieur Garier stepped sideways to get himself out of his position and walked to the door. "I seem to have touched a nerve in you doctor. I believe Dr. Fornier leads the medical board, does he not? In fact, I seem to recall that he was quite pleased when I gave him recent tickets for him and his family. He owes me a favor, you know," said Monsieur Garier smiling.

"You let that bloodthirsty man near her and I will be certain to see that you regret it! See the common sense in your request Monsieur Garier! If you want her to recover, then you will let her take the time to heal. Otherwise she will be no good to you for the profits you are seeking."

"It is not in your place for you to make my business decisions," snapped Monsieur Garier.

"No," replied Dr. Charier, "but it _is_ in my place to ensure the health of my patient."

"Well, we will just see if she will remain as your patient. I am sure Dr. Fornier would be most eager take over her care. I'm quite sure the medical board may see it that way as well, given that you have treated Madame Duprey with your careless and dangerous practices! I will return, and when I do, you will be removed from her care!"

Dr. Charier glared at him and Monsieur Garier smiled. He tipped his hat in a mocking manner to the doctor and then left, closing the door loudly behind him. Dr. Charette quickly walked back over to Laurette and tucked the covers around her as if to establish that she was still his patient. She weakly smiled at him.

"What exactly did he want?" asked Erik stepping inside the room.

Dr. Charette looked up at Erik and then shook his head. "I told him that her performance would be delayed by at least a month, maybe more before she can perform. He is insisting that she perform next week and wanted to take her with him now," said Dr. Charette with a disgusted tone.

"And can he remove you from Laurette's care?" asked Erik concerned about Monsieur Garier's threat.

"_He_ cannot, but the medical board can. They can vote to find me incompetent to care for her and suspend my license to practice. But I also have friends on the medical board. It will take me a few days to talk with them and make sure they understand the situation. However, I believe that unfortunately a few of them are out of town."

"What does that mean?"

"It means they could try and hold a vote without some of them, though I know a few that will object to such a thing. But if you think Monsieur Garier is ruthless, you should meet Dr. Fornier. He is a master at such politics and most likely will see an opportunity for himself in this situation. He will appear as the hero if he takes over her care and be sure that she 'recovers' well enough to perform."

Erik shook his head. "I cannot let that happen. I will not let Monsieur Garier take her. I will kill him before I let that happen," he said in an angry tone.

"Erik…," said Laurette in a whisper.

So keyed up with this turn of events, Erik had forgotten she was awake and listening. He walked over and sat down on her bed and once again held her hand.

"I am sorry, Laurette," said Erik softly. "But I cannot stand by and watch him do this to you."

"So…death is…is the answer?" she asked in a forced whispered tone.

Erik clenched his jaw and looked down, away from her eyes. She had nothing but a good soul, even for a man like Monsieur Garier. Laurette had no idea what a murderer he in fact really was, but he could not bear to go against her wishes. She, of course, wanted to save him from his dark soul.

"Give me some time Erik," said Dr. Charette quietly. "I will see what I can do."

Erik nodded but said nothing. Slowly looking back up at Laurette, she smiled at him and Erik realized that she appeared to be much better. The door opened and Maria walked in with Mary. Erik, conscious that he was on the bed in such a close manner to Laurette, stood up rather quickly before they could see.

"We are here to bathe Madame Duprey," said Mary with a smile. She was holding various towels with another large bowl. "So you will both need to leave."

"Are you sure you won't need any assistance Mary?" asked Dr. Charette. Erik grew tense at this. Feeling Laurette's chest with a stethoscope was one thing, but bathing her was entirely different.

"No, no," said Mary much to the relief of Erik. "We will be fine, won't we Maria?"

"Oh, yes!" exclaimed Maria marching in. She took the bowl and went into the adjoining bathroom area and began to run hot water into the bowl.

"Well, I can see that it is our cue to leave then," said Dr. Charette. "I might as well go and check a few patients. I'll return in a few hours."

Erik nodded. He looked at Laurette and badly wanted to kiss her before he left. But with Maria and Mary now here, Erik decided it was inappropriate. Laurette smiled again at him and he gazed at her for a few moments. Then he disappeared into the secret corridor. It was good timing anyway as it was now mid morning and the Company was most likely waiting for him.

They appeared to already have heard the good news about Laurette as they were chatting happily. Erik motioned to Gautier and the cast was called to begin rehearsal. Settling himself into one of the theater seats, Erik tried to push all thoughts in regards to Monsieur Garier aside and focused on the rehearsal for the rest of the day.

Everyone's spirits seemed to be lifted. Julia was laughing as Justine was teasing her about her hair. Dion was chatting away with the musicians; Maurice and Nicole were happily watching the dancers practice their latest movements. In fact, Erik had to instruct Gautier to tell all of them a number of times to be quieter and concentrate. But they were too keyed up and ignored him for the most part.

"When do you think Madame Duprey can finally rehearse with me?" asked Justine from the stage as he finished his duet with Julia filling in. "I want to be sure and show her how much my voice has come along from when she last heard me. I doubt she thought I could get any better and now listen to me!"

Armond standing nearby rolled his eyes while the women giggled at Justine's arrogant remark. Erik shook his head.

"I do not believe she will be rehearsing for quite some time. Dr. Charier would like to delay her debut for at least another month, maybe longer," said Erik.

"So what does that mean?" asked Armond.

"It means we will continue to rehearse without her and alternate the other two productions. However, if Monsieur Garier has his way, there is a chance she will be performing much sooner. He wants to remove her from Dr. Charier's care and return her to his estate."

"What?" asked Andre stepping forward. "And with whom would he assign as her doctor?"

"Dr. Fornier," said Erik quietly.

Andre shook his head with anger. "No. He will kill her. She is too weak for such a journey anyway, thought I am sure the bastard won't care," he said.

Erik continued to be taken aback by Andre's tone with Dr. Fornier. There was something quite personal against Dr. Fornier with his opinion. He had never seen Andre act like this.

"Oh Andre, Dr. Fornier is not all _that_ bad," scoffed Chantel.

Andre walked right up and stood inches away from her face. "I would not speak of what you do not know, Chantel. The only reason your sister lived was because she recovered on her own, not because of Dr. Fornier's methods. God, you know absolutely nothing, so I suggest you keep your mouth shut. You are just a young and very stupid girl!"

"_Andre_," said Erik firmly as he stood up. He may agree with Andre on his opinion of Dr. Fornier, but he had no right to be so rude to Chantel. Erik glared at him. "I suggest you take a break from the stage. When you have decided that you can act professional enough to your fellow cast members, then perhaps I will consider allowing you to return."

The Company's mood completely changed and they all looked at Andre. Erik also noticed some of them looking at him with fear in their eyes once more.

"Yes Maestro," said Andre gritting his teeth to control his anger. He walked quickly backstage.

"Andre…," said Justine as he walked by him.

"Shut up Justine. I don't want to hear another word out of you," replied Andre coolly.

Once gone, Justine looked back at the Maestro with a look of anger upon his face. "You did not have to do that," said Justine. "He is just concerned for Madame Duprey. He wants the best care for her. Even Chantel would admit that she cannot go back to Monsieur Garier's house!"

"That doesn't mean he had to be so rude to me," said Chantel.

"Well maybe if you had more of an open mind then he would be nicer to you Chantel," said Justine angrily.

Erik had enough. He said nothing and climbed up the stairs on the side of the theater. Walking on the stage, the cast backed away slightly from Erik, except for Justine who stood firmly before him.

"I will not tolerate any lack of respect for any fellow cast members," said Erik in a low tone standing tall before Justine. "Everyone is entitled to an opinion and can disagree, but only on a professional basis." Erik looked around at the Company. "That is how we all come together. No matter what we think…," Erik looked back at Justine, "or _who_ we are does not matter. We are all one when it comes to us as a Company. _That_ is what makes us successful. And I will not let any one individual destroy that, even _you_ Justine. Is that understood?"

Justine had his fists clenched but his face had somewhat fallen from his anger when Erik had finished. Even Justine could not deny that they all had a number of differences but always came together in the end.

"Yes Maestro," said Justine quietly.

"Good, then I suggest you all get some rest. We will work even harder tomorrow to bring together the last act we have been stumbling through. I expect all of you to work together and concentrate. Until that time, you are dismissed," said Erik tilting his head at them. The Company murmured slightly but began to disperse.

Shaking his head, Erik walked back down to the theater seats to retrieve his notes before he went back to check on Laurette. Armond was slowly walking down the side steps and then approached him.

"I just wanted to say…that what you did was the right thing. You had to stand up to them. I just wanted to let you know that…I agreed with your action," finished Armond somewhat awkwardly.

"Thank you, Armond.," said Erik in an almost bitter tone. He sighed. "Go on, I will see you tomorrow." Armond nodded and left.

Erik slowly walked back to Laurette's room, thinking if what he said to the Company was in fact the right thing to say. He would have to explain this to Dr. Charier no doubt as Andre would be upset. Erik felt slightly guilty about telling Andre to leave after his supportive remarks to his Uncle.

As Erik approached Laurette's room in the secret passageway, he slowed in his pace. He was certain they were done bathing her by now as that was hours ago. Still, he decided to peer in cautiously. Much to his surprise, he saw Laurette slightly sitting up on a number of pillows and saw Maria sitting on her bed happily assisting her to eat a bowl of soup.

"She looks wonderful, does she not? Her strength is beginning to return," said Maria smiling at him as he stepped into the room.

Laurette did indeed look almost normal again to Erik. Mary and Maria had washed her hair and it was beautifully cascading down her shoulders. In fact, it was the first time he noticed she had her hair all the way down rather then part of it done up and she almost resembled a child with the soft strands framing her face.

She was now wearing a short sleeved pink dressing gown which only made her face look more radiant with color. He walked close to her bed and stood before her quite amazed. Laurette simply smiled back at him.

"Although I would not say she has improved with her appetite," said Maria disapprovingly as she looked at the bowl still quite full of soup.

"That is quite normal, I assure you," said Erik with a slight laugh as Laurette frowned at him.

"Well, it is only a matter of finding the right recipe. If there is one thing I pride myself on, I can always create something that will please anyone in their appetite," said Maria looking at Laurette as if she had just accepted a challenge. Laurette shook her head slightly. Maria patted her hand and got up from the bed.

"I will be in the kitchen if either of you need anything. Maestro, there is some coffee and tea right there on the tray ready for you. And we certainly have _plenty_ of soup left in the serving dish," said Maria looking sternly at Laurette again.

"Yes, thank you Maria," said Erik now smiling at Laurette. She rolled her eyes from Maria's remark. After she left, Erik sat down on Laurette's bed.

"How did rehearsal go?" she asked much to the surprise of Erik. Her voice, although still very soft, was now returning.

"I would really rather not discuss it," said Erik honestly to her. He didn't feel like going over the details. Erik was tired but happy to see Laurette and he did not want to dampen the mood. "You are looking very well. In fact, you look…beautiful," he said quietly. He wanted to kiss her badly but did not feel she was well enough and needed to leave her alone.

"I feel much better," said Laurette rather brightly. "I did not realize what wonders a simple bath and change of clothes would do. I wanted to even go for a walk but Mary lectured me and said I needed to get more sleep. I have had enough sleep! I want to go to the Music Room and sit at the piano." Erik shook his head and laughed, happy to see that her spirit had once again returned.

"I think you should listen to Mary," replied Erik gently. She frowned in response but did not argue any further.

"I so much wanted to be at rehearsal," said Laurette with a disappointed look.

"I think under the circumstances that would not be wise right now. Speaking of which, that brings me to question what exactly happened that brought you to this state?" said Erik in a more serious tone. Laurette shook her head.

"You do not want to discuss rehearsal so it is only fair that I do not have to discuss that."

"But you will tell me in time," said Erik. He would find out exactly what happened, though it probably did not matter as he still wanted to kill Monsieur Garier anyway. However, any further knowledge of the hurt he inflicted on Laurette would only ensure that Erik planned to take a great deal of pleasure in torturing the man with the darkest thoughts he could create.

In just a short time, Erik could see that this brief conversation was beginning to wear on Laurette. Her face began to look slightly pale again and her voice was fading.

"It is time for you to lie back down," said Erik firmly to her. She only nodded and allowed him to adjust the pillows to place her head back down. Within a few minutes she fell quickly asleep. Despite her brief upbeat behavior, Erik realized that she was still very sick and quite a long way off from a full recovery.

He sighed quietly and retrieved the hot tea from the tray. He settled into the nearby armchair once more. But instead of working on any music, Erik was content to simply drink the tea and gaze at Laurette. She looked quite young, almost like a child with how she slept, her small hands curled tightly into fists.

But she was certainly no child in regards to her physical appearance when awake. Erik was quite aware of that. And despite her constant arguments with him, Laurette was in word, very mature. She did not know it, but Erik's speech to the company was partly what he learned from her. Their arguments were always respectful in nature and they never seemed to sway in their dedication to a production while still retaining their strong relationship. He wanted the Company to behave in the same way. Only then would they be able to accomplish this next performance.

Thinking about this, Erik realized how immature Christine was. Part of it was her youth and part was the influence of her husband. There was indeed a part of Erik that still loved Christine and he longed to hear the beautiful voice that had made his life worth living for at one time. But he really had never gotten to know Christine, only her voice. With Laurette, Erik knew and loved her for the mind she had. She would continually surprise him and make him think in different ways. Christine was by far too innocent when he first met her to even have such experience to think of such things in conversation. Still, it was a beautiful innocence Erik remembered quite well and it drew him to her. But now he knew with Laurette that he needed much more then Christine would ever be able to give him.

Laurette did not sleep well during the night. She woke up several times coughing and Erik soothed her the best he could by holding her and stroking her hair. She again seemed to relax and quiet down when he did this. He had expected the doctor to return, but he did not. Something must have kept him.

Erik managed to sleep a few hours in the chair, but worried that Laurette had not gotten enough rest with her coughing spells. In the morning, Maria happily came in the room, carrying a huge tray of breakfast. Erik helped Maria sit Laurette up even though he knew trying to get her to eat was useless. Laurette had no appetite even when she was healthy.

Glancing at the clock, he nodded to Maria seeing that she was now watching over Laurette. He then made his way to the theater once more for rehearsal.

Although somewhat somber, the Company did much better today. Erik saw much improvement in the last act as they were concentrating much harder. Toward the end of rehearsal, the cast was beginning to smile again, happy with their progress.

Unfortunately, however, Andre had not returned and it weighed heavily on Erik's mind. He expected to hear something from Justine on the matter, but he said nothing about it and surprisingly worked quite well with him.

"Someone is coming," said a loud but hushed voice from one of the lookouts. "Wait, all is well. It is Maria."

Erik looked nervously at Maria as she quickly walked up to him. Had Laurette suddenly become worse?

"Dr. Charette is here. He wants to speak with you now," Maria said breathlessly. Worried that his worst fear was just confirmed, Erik made a hasty exit into a secret passageway. Reaching Laurette's room, he quickly stepped inside and saw Dr. Charette pacing. Much to Erik's relief, Laurette was awake. Although looking fairly tired still, she seemed to be alright.

"I am sorry Erik," said Dr. Charette stopping and turning towards him. "I am afraid that Dr. Fornier is on his way at this very moment. While the medical board did not suspend me, they will do so unless he is allowed to take Madame Duprey back to Monsieur Garier's estate."

Erik clenched his fists.

"No."

"I know there is still some hope, however," continued Dr. Charette. "The board did indeed take a vote without some of the other members I know. Word is that they are furious and on their way back to the city now. But unfortunately, that will not be for at least another day."

Suddenly there was some commotion heard going on outside. Dr. Charette went to the window. He shook his head.

"He is here," Dr. Charette said quietly.

Erik looked at Laurette. Her eyes met his and Erik knew what he had to do.

"I will not let him take her again," Erik said in an angry voice and he stepped next to Laurette's bed.

"And just what is it that you are going to do?" asked Dr. Charette.

"Anything to prevent him from taking her," said Erik tilting his head at the doctor. Even Dr. Charette would not get in his way from protecting Laurette.

"I only need a day," said the doctor. "Do not do anything rash Erik."

"You mean from madness?" he asked knowing full well what the doctor was thinking. Erik shook his head. He may be gruesome but he would not kill Monsieur Garier or anyone else in front of Laurette. "I am going to take her with me," Erik explained looking at the doctor's concerned face.

Dr. Charette hesitated. Erik knew he was thinking that allowing a madman to take Laurette was wrong. And yet placing her into the care of Dr. Fornier with a long journey was no better. "Alright, take her," said Dr. Charette as he heard voices approaching.

Erik threw aside the covers on the bed and picked up Laurette in one swift movement. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head against his shoulder.

"Wait," said Dr. Charette in a firm voice and he retrieved another blanket. "Be sure to keep her warm. I certainly cannot help but think that it is not exactly the healthiest environment down there." He then firmly wrapped the blanket around Laurette as Erik held her. The voices were getting louder and Erik could hear Maria loudly arguing with them as she desperately tried to keep them from coming into the room. "Go," said the doctor. Erik stepped out of the room into the secret passageway.

In the darkness of the corridor, Erik walked quickly. Even though the boat on the underground lake would be a faster route from where they were above, Erik decided against it. He was too worried about the chill from the water. It was cold enough down below and the doctor was right. He had to keep Laurette as warm as possible.

Not that the longer route was tiring him in his pace. Laurette hardly felt heavy in his arms at all and he worried that she most likely had lost more weight from the illness. Descending the steps carefully, Erik went down into the depths. It was completely pitch black at this point but Erik knew the way easily. Laurette seemed to tremble in his arms, tightening her hands around his neck and buried her face into his chest. Remembering her fear of the darkness the night of the masquerade, Erik squeezed her gently in his arms.

"We are almost there," he said softly, trying to reassure her. He quickened his pace.

Finally, he arrived at his underground home, torches lit outside his bedroom over the lake. He carefully carried her up several steps to the room and then made his way to the bed. He laid her down gently, pulling the blanket up around her to keep her warm, but Laurette did not let go of him. Instead she pulled Erik down and kissed him.

_Damn it_, thought Erik angrily as the sweetness of the kiss cascaded over him, tempting him to act beyond reason. He pulled away from her. "Laurette," he breathed in a firm voice, "You need to rest."

"I _need_ you," said Laurette now wide awake and looking at him in the candlelit room, her hand touching the side of his mask.

Erik was at a complete loss as he comprehended what she was asking. His mind was racing and thinking of all the logical reasons he should not be tempted. She was still very sick and needed sleep. It was also dangerous. With Erik's lack of experience in a physical relationship, he knew he would not be able to stop himself to fulfill his need. But his heart was winning as Erik looked into her eyes. He finally made his choice.

He kissed her…hard.

She pulled him down onto the bed, falling back into the pillows. His heart was almost hurting with how hard it was now beating. The kiss was becoming exquisitely passionate and Erik gave into her, feeling almost selfish with taking in her warmth that he knew she needed.

At first he did nothing but continue to kiss her. But as her hands moved and began to caress his chest through his shirt, Erik began to want more. He tried to gain control. He could still stop this or at least try. Then Laurette took one of his hands and placed it under her nightdress just above the side of her hip. Feeling her soft skin inside her gown made Erik almost go mad and he kissed her even harder. He suddenly felt desperate, swearing that if he continued to kiss her like this, he would soon draw blood from her lips if he did not get himself under control.

But Laurette was not helping. She moved her body directly beneath him, causing his hand to move up further to her side, now just inches away from her breasts. Erik struggled to pull himself back, trying to be gentle. However the thought of now touching her breasts was too much for him and he continued to kiss her savagely. He was now slowly moving his hand up her side to touch where he wanted. Laurette had encircled her arms around his neck, her hands moving up to caress the back of his head. Erik was just about to finally reach upward and touch her when he suddenly realized that her fingers were closing on the ties to his mask.

In a flash, Erik took his hand from under her gown and literally ripped her hand away from his head. Now looking at her angrily, he cruelly tightened his hand painfully around her wrist. There was no way in hell Erik would ever allow her to remove his mask. Not even love would make him ever do that again from the lesson learned with Christine.

Laurette's reaction was of complete shock when he pulled away so suddenly. She was breathing quite hard and she winced in pain. Laurette looked at his hand holding her wrist and her eyes suddenly seemed to widen as she comprehended the situation. "I did not mean…," she said to him breathlessly, "No…Erik… I promise, I will not."

He wanted to believe her, that all of this wasn't some trick to see what was beneath his mask. Her reaction did make Erik suddenly think twice, that perhaps in a state of passion she was simply caressing the back of his head and not making any attempt at all to take off his mask. Erik's anger began to subside. Still breathing quite hard, he slowly released his grasp on her wrist. Surely Laurette would now be scared to death of him, realizing she had received but a taste of what he could easily do to hurt her.

But Laurette took her hand, now free from his grasp, and closed it around his. Then she moved his hand once more back under her night dress. She arched her head upward, tempting him to kiss her once more. He could not believe she still wanted this.

He gave in and eagerly kissed her again, this time moving his hand directly to feel her breast. He was amazed at how soft this part of her body was and Erik moved his hand in a caressing way, feeling the nipple with the tip of one finger.

Her breathing had now become even heavier and she forced him to release her mouth so she could take a breath. Then Laurette seemed to take advantage of this and bent up to trail hot kisses along his neck. Erik could not stand it. He bent down and captured the sweetness of her mouth once more, not even caring if she suffocated. All he now sought was more of the pleasure his body was experiencing.

Laurette seemed suddenly somewhat irritated and then actually pushed him slightly off of her. Throbbing in agony, Erik felt horrible that he was causing her such discomfort with his harsh actions, but he could not help himself. It was now too late for him to stop and much to his dismay, Erik knew with the demon within he would force her if necessary to end his aching need. Yet once again, she completely surprised him as when she was free enough from Erik's weight, she pulled the night dress over her head throwing it aside.

_Oh God_, thought Erik. She was now completely naked under him and Erik thought for sure that this was the final limit to his sanity. He kissed her again deeply and felt her soft body tremble beneath his. In fact, he suddenly realized that his bare chest was now against her skin as Laurette had managed somehow to get his jacket and vest off. Now his shirt was open and her hands were caressing his chest.

Things seemed to be moving too fast, but Erik no longer had any control of himself. Before he knew it, Erik's clothes were also completely gone. Laurette shifted herself once more beneath him and then reached down to guide him to her. Erik thought for sure he was going to die from that simple pleasure alone.

But nothing could prepare him for what followed. So incredible was the feeling of being within her soft flesh that Erik lost all thought, his body hungrily and instinctively taking over. However he was certain he hurt Laurette as he had to strongly force himself into her to finally complete the act. She suddenly stiffened, her body seemed to shudder, and Laurette desperately clung to him. Her nails painfully scratched his back, but Erik still could not stop and yet he did not care for as suddenly as all of this began, it quickly came to an end.

He collapsed on top of her, his face in the pillow next to her, breathing heavily and shaking. Erik silently wept with the reality that he had finally experienced the ultimate act of love between a man and a woman. But he could not bear the thought of Laurette hearing his raw emotion and held back all tears. Then he remembered that he was fully on top of her and most likely crushing her. Erik pulled himself up, but when he looked at her he took a breath.

She was asleep.

There was no doubt that she was already exhausted from getting so little rest the night before. Her illness had robbed her of most of her strength and she was still weak. Erik felt incredibly guilty now for allowing this to happen. Not only had he physically hurt her in his quest for physical pleasure, but now she was even more exhausted then before and could relapse quite easily.

There was nothing he could do right now except make sure she was warm enough. Erik moved off of her onto his back. Pulling her gently with him, he got her to turn over and lay now on top of him. Laurette stirred slightly and he pulled the blankets up over them.

With her head now sleeping on his chest, Erik realized he was still breathing quite hard and tried to relax. He could not come to terms with what had just happened. It did not seem real. He was exhilarated and amazed that he had now actually possessed her. Laurette was now completely his. The thought that he had done such a thing pleased him to no end, especially when he thought of Monsieur Garier who so badly wanted to own and control her. And yet here she was, nestled in his arms sleeping after Erik had claimed her physically and mentally for himself.

Erik wasn't sure if he would ever be able to sleep as he was so caught up in the moment. But sleep eventually found him as Erik felt the warm beating of Laurette's heart against his, lulling him into a deep state of contentment.

Hours later, something was making a loud sound, almost a crash of some sort, up above that echoed down into the depths of the catacombs. Erik opened his eyes looking upward and heard the sound again. His eyes shifted downward and then it dawned on him that Laurette was still sleeping in his arms. It had been no dream. Erik let out a huge breath, still unable to believe what had happened. But then another crashing sound came from above, followed by someone shouting. Erik suddenly realized by the clock that he and Laurette had been sleeping for some time and it was already morning. The Company would be rehearsing. But the sounds from above were of not any performance. Erik hesitated, not wanting to leave Laurette, but he knew something was wrong.

Ever so carefully, he shifted his weight from under Laurette and gently moved her off of him. She seemed to naturally settle herself into the bed, sighing as she continued to sleep. Erik gazed at her and reached to touch her face, but then he stopped, not wanting to waken her. Laurette needed all the sleep she could to recover. He quietly slipped out of the bed and got dressed. Grabbing his cloak on the way out, Erik hastened to the stairway and climbed up to the Opera House. The noise and shouting were becoming louder and Erik realized it was coming from the theater itself. He climbed up to the catwalks above the stage, looking down for a better view.

"_Where is she_?" shouted Monsieur Garier standing in front of the Company. But the cast said nothing. He picked up a prop of a statue and threw it past them. It went straight through one of the windows of the building Philippe had designed. The glass shattered, the sound echoing throughout the theater.

"I know you are hiding her. Tell me NOW or you will all be fired!"

"We do not know where she is Monsieur," said Justine in a calm voice. "And we know the next month of shows has been sold out. Will you fire us all and return so many full houses?"

Andre stepped forward, "And I believe you have a few very important guests that are visiting soon from what I know."

Erik was pleased to see Andre had returned. But he was not pleased to see Monsieur Garier shouting at them and destroying the set Philippe had worked so hard to create.

The company's strategy was working, however, as Justine and Andre's comments seem to make Monsieur Garier hesitate for a moment. But then he quickly recovered.

"I will do what I must unless you tell me where she is!"

"We do not know," said Julia suddenly. "Justine is telling the truth. If you would just listen-." But before she could finish, Monsieur Garier stepped forward and struck her across the face, knocking Julia down.

That was enough for Erik. He quickly took out a knife and cut one of the heavy sandbag weights that held down some of the sets and released it. Falling, it landed only inches behind Monsieur Garier. His reaction was jumping almost ten feet into the air much to Erik's delight even though he was disappointed in himself for making sure to miss him just before it dropped. If he killed Monsieur Garier, he wasn't sure how to tell Laurette that he did such a thing, not to mention he did not want it to happen in front of the Company.

Justine was startled when the sandbag heavily hit the stage, but then his face became angry. He bent down and helped Julia up. His arms encircled her as she began to cry, but then Justine turned and walked straight in front of Monsieur Garier, only inches from his face.

"I believe it is time for you to leave," Justine said. Behind him, the Company was nodding in agreement, most of them with now a new sense of determination and anger.

Monsieur Garier seemed to suddenly be quite aware that over one hundred and fifty people were present and could easily overtake him. He backed away, stumbling over the sandbag.

"Fine," he replied in a low voice, "You will continue to perform but only because I have said so. But I assure you, if Madame Duprey is not found soon, you will all regret your actions today! Get out of my way!" He pushed aside some of the stagehands and made his way out of the theater, slamming the doors behind him.

Justine reached out to hold Julia again, but then looked straight up, tilting his head all the way back up to look at the catwalks above.

"You _MISSED_!"

Erik smiled. Justine could not see him, but he knew Erik was there. He climbed down from the catwalks and appeared from behind the curtain on the side of the stage. They immediately saw him and crowded around, barely giving him room to breath.

"We heard that he was going to take her."

"Dr. Charette said you had hidden Madame Duprey."

"How is Madame feeling?"

Feeling overwhelmed with so many questions, Erik held up his hand and they quieted. He made his way over to Justine who was still holding Julia. "Is she alright?" asked Erik who saw Julia still crying.

"I think so," said Justine pulling away from Julia and looking at her. She nodded. Fortunately there didn't seem to be any major mark left upon her face. Justine looked at Erik angrily. "The next time he ever tries to do that, I assure you Maestro, I will not leave him standing. To Hell with my career! I will not stand by and let him do this! How can Madame Duprey continue to work for him? She cannot!"

"It is her decision," said Erik quietly though fully understanding how Justine was feeling. If he could help it, Erik would not let Laurette return to Monsieur Garier at all.

"How is Madame Duprey?" asked Nicole with a concerned face. Erik hesitated for a moment, extremely conscious that the Company was all looking at him.

"She is…fine. She is sleeping at the moment," said Erik, somewhat flustered in his thoughts of what he had done with her in bed.

"My Uncle is here Maestro," said Andre. "He wants to see you in Madame Duprey's suite." Erik nodded, but before he could leave, Andre stopped him. "I have apologized to Chantel, Maestro. I would very much like to return. I was wrong to let my anger go so far."

"He did apologize," said Chantel. "And the more I think on the matter, Andre really cares about this Company. _I_ want him to return."

They looked at Erik expectedly. His eyes met Andre who was waiting for his answer. Erik gave a simple nod in acknowledgement much to Andre's relief. Then Erik turned and disappeared behind the curtain once more.

He found Dr. Charette in Laurette's suite, impatiently waiting for him. The doctor was again pacing around the room, his hands behind his back. Erik emerged before him.

"How is she? Has she been sleeping better?"

"Yes," said Erik although he was partly lying. Again, his guilty conscious was nagging him with what had transpired down below. Still, when she finally was sleeping, Laurette was no longer coughing.

"I have mixed news," said Dr. Charette looking seriously at Erik. "I am pleased to say that I will remain as her doctor. The board had to hold another meeting when my colleagues returned, many of them furious at their behavior. However, as a compromise, it was agreed that Madame Duprey would still be moved back to Monsieur Garier's estate."

Erik shook his head, but the doctor continued.

"I will still be her doctor, Erik. I will not leave her. I will in fact travel with her and plan to stay at Monsieur Garier's house for at least a while."

"You would do that?" asked Erik somewhat incredulously. He was not happy at all about Laurette returning to Monsieur Garier, but relieved to hear the doctor was willing to do such a thing and travel outside the city.

"Yes, I have already talked to a colleague of mine to handle my patients while I am gone. Mary will come with me also. Monsieur Garier, of course, will be pressuring me to allow Madame Duprey to perform, especially for his personal private parties I hear he has been having at his estate. While I would prefer a month more of recovery, if I see that she is doing better under my care, I will allow her to perform in two weeks time for the main production. But only under the condition that she be allowed to rest for at least two more weeks after that. She must pace herself as her strength will return very slowly from such a serious illness. Two performances will be more then enough for her."

Two weeks. Erik would have to wait two full, long weeks before he could see Laurette again. He did not want to allow this, she could not leave him.

"It is still better this way, Erik. I promise you that she will not leave my care. And you have to admit, a warm home is better for her recovery then whatever is down below this Opera House."

This was true of course as Erik was already worried about the damp coldness down below. It was unfit for her recovery, but staying at Monsieur Garier's house placed Erik in a dark mood.

"When?" asked Erik.

"Monsieur Garier is sending a carriage tomorrow morning, so I will be here. He came by hoping to collect her today as he was furious when he found out she was missing yesterday."

"Yes, I know," replied Erik in a low tone thinking of Julia. "Doctor, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to check on the cast members. One in particular, though I believe she is fine. Her name is Julia. She will most likely be with Justine and Andre."

"Of course," said Dr. Charette. "But why?"

"Monsieur Garier took his anger out on them, Julia receiving some of it upon her face."

"God, the man is intolerable," said Dr. Charette in a bitter tone. "The thought of even being around him at his estate makes me feel ill. Thank God Mary is coming with me or I might end up doing something to him I regret." He looked suddenly sheepish after saying this when he disapproved of Erik's thirst to kill Monsieur Garier.

Erik laughed slightly under his breath. "Yes, well I believe he is doing well in making a number of people feel that way. With any luck, I won't be the one responsible for his death," said Erik even though he secretly hoped he actually would get to commit the act at the right time.

"So, you will be here with her early tomorrow morning?" asked Dr. Charette.

Erik tightened his jaw.

"Yes," he replied harshly.

"Good, I will be waiting. Here, I want you to take this and give it to Laurette." The doctor handed him a tiny bottle filled with liquid. "Mix it with a full glass of water and be sure she takes all of it. Don't worry if she stays asleep for a quite a while afterwards. I mixed in a slight amount of something that will make sure she does in fact sleep soundly." Erik nodded and placed the bottle in his inside coat pocket.

Erik suddenly realized if Laurette was going to come back up with him tomorrow she would need something to wear. He certainly was not going to allow Monsieur Garier to catch a glimpse of her in any night gown. He walked over to Laurette's armoire and retrieved a blue dress that he noticed she wore often, possibly one of her favorites. Looking down at the row of shoes, Erik had no clue what to select, but chose a pair that appeared to be somewhat comfortable and then he faced Dr. Charette.

"I will see you tomorrow then," said Erik.

"Yes, I will be ready with Mary."

Erik turned and made his way back through the secret mirror and down into the depths. His thoughts were dwelling on the fact that once again, he would be losing Laurette. Now he felt it would be an even worse loneliness then before as Erik knew he would be madly craving for her physically as well. He already had gone over what happened with her in his bed at least a hundred times by now alone. Then another frightening thought crept inside and he stopped. But he shook his head and hurried down the steps.

Arriving at the lake by his home, Erik lit a few more torches outside. It may still be dark, but he wanted Laurette to feel as if there was some light outside where she was. Erik slowly went up the stairs, his thoughts still racing.

When he entered the room, Erik unexpectedly saw Laurette sitting up looking away from him, observing the various works of art on the wall he had managed to collect from artists for some time. Among them, was a portrait of Christine.

"You are awake," Erik said but then he jumped when Laurette did the same as she was extremely startled by his voice. Seeing it was him, Laurette breathed a large sigh of relief, clutching the sheet to her chest.

"Sorry," said Erik slightly smiling.

She returned a brief smile, though still somewhat nervous. It was obvious she felt out of place and afraid down here. For a moment his gaze fell upon where her hand was holding the sheet, conscious of the fact that she was actually in his bed without any clothes.

"Erik?"

He came back to the realization that he was still standing there. Erik set the dress and shoes down on a nearby chair. He then quietly walked over to the nightstand by his bed and poured water into a glass. "I saw Dr. Charette. He wanted to make sure I gave this to you," said Erik mixing in the liquid from the small bottle. He sat down on the bed and handed her the glass.

Laurette accepted it and took a drink. She suddenly made such a face, Erik could not help but laugh as she frowned and quickly returned the glass to him. But then he grew serious as he realized she had only taken one drink, the glass still very full.

"_All_ of it," said Erik now handing the glass back to her. She looked at the glass and then back at him. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at her. He would force her if he had to.

Seeing he was serious, Laurette grimaced and took the glass once more. She took a breath and then quickly drank it, shaking her head as she forced herself to swallow. Erik smiled and poured another glass of water. She practically grabbed it from him and drank half of it immediately.

"He needs to work on the taste of his medicines," said Laurette slightly coughing. She drank the rest of the water.

"Yes, well, he is a good doctor," said Erik quietly taking the glass from her and placing it on the nightstand.

"Yes, he is," replied Laurette simply.

An almost awkward silence followed between them as Erik's thoughts still weighed heavily upon him. She straightened in her sitting position slightly. "Erik…what is wrong?"

He hesitated and looked away. While the one thought that worried him the most was on his mind, Erik did not want to say it for fear of hurting her.

"Are you having regret?" she asked quietly.

Erik reacted with a sharp laugh under his breath. "No, of course not," he replied, but still looking away. God, being with her physically was by far more then he had ever dreamed possible.

"Please tell me."

Erik looked back at her, still hesitating. But her eyes were pleading with him to be open with her as he always was.

"Laurette, you know full well the reason I have lived down here all my life. It is a life I would not wish upon anyone." _Well, except maybe Monsieur Garier_, thought Erik. _No that was still too kind for the man_. "If…if there were ever to be a child…," his voice trailed off as his eyes met Laurette's briefly for a moment.

Her eyes widened in response as she knew immediately what he was saying. Erik would not let any child of his suffer the same fate and would end its life as soon as it entered the world with such a face. Laurette sharply looked away and Erik looked down, feeling terrible for saying such a thing. And yet, there was nothing that would change his mind.

"I…I cannot have children," Laurette said softly. Erik looked up at her. "I had some type of illness when I was a child, an infection. It is not possible."

"I am sorry," said Erik. _Damn_. Now he felt even worse.

Laurette shook her head, obviously not wanting to discuss it any further. But then she looked at him with a serious face. "What else?"

"What do you mean?" asked Erik.

"I know something else is bothering you, what is it?"

Erik sighed. She knew him too well it seemed. Despite the fact that he had a mask on did not seem to hide his expressions from her. "You are to return to Monsieur Garier's estate tomorrow," said Erik. Seeing Laurette's concerned face he quickly added that Dr. Charette would be with her. She looked slightly relieved when he said this, but said nothing. She looked at him expectedly. She knew there was more on his mind.

"Laurette…why," Erik paused and took a breath "Why have you never asked to see my face?"

She looked surprised that he had asked this. "Why do I need to see your face? I do not need to see your face. I may not know your face, Erik, but I know _you_. Is that not all that matters?"

Erik looked down, saying nothing.

"If you ever did ask me to look at your face, I would," said Laurette quietly. "But even I cannot promise you how I would react. But it would not matter Erik. In fact, I am more afraid of you not believing that I love you even if I was frightened by your face. But you…," she paused, her eyes now filling with tears. "You are my soul mate Erik," said Laurette placing her hand on the cheek of his mask.

Erik was moved by her saying such a thing. He wasn't quite sure how they could be "soul mates" when his soul was already destined for Hell while hers would be saved for all eternity. But dear God, he loved her. With so many sins Erik had committed, he would sin again and selfishly take this woman for himself. He reached down and kissed her.

It was a soft, gentle kiss that lingered sensuously longer then he anticipated. How badly he wanted to try once more the physical act of love with her, vowing this time he would go much slower and be more caring. But when he slightly pulled away to look at her, he saw Laurette's eyes heavy, and a wave of sleepiness passed over her.

"There was something in that medicine to make me sleep wasn't there?" murmured Laurette trying to stay awake.

Erik slowly nodded. "Lay down," he said quietly.

She did as he asked and settled herself into the pillows. Erik pulled up a blanket over the sheet, making sure she was warm enough.

"You won't leave me, will you?" Laurette asked whispering.

Erik smiled and shook his head as he held her hand.

"Do you promise?" she asked persistently.

Erik laughed softly. "Yes, I promise."

Somewhat relieved at his response, Laurette allowed sleep to take her. Erik stayed sitting on the bed for a while longer, gazing at her face.

He did not have to take her back. He could keep her here…forever with him. Erik tried to brush aside these thoughts but they continued to linger in his mind. He got up from the bed and walked over to his writing desk nearby.

Sitting, Erik pulled out his own music. It has been so long since he had worked on it. But he had left the production music up above and did not want to break his promise to Laurette in leaving her. He worked for hours, for the first time Erik feeling quite creative in his musical thoughts using the passion he felt from the night before with Laurette as his emotional guide.

Finally weary in the early morning hours, Erik checked on Laurette who was still peacefully sleeping. With his clothes still on, Erik laid down beside her on top of the blankets and gently held her. He felt a thrill of happiness as she quickly seemed to press against him, quite content to be lying in his arms. Erik also felt a familiar stirring, a physical ache that was beginning to emerge, but he ignored it. Laurette needed to sleep and he was not going to let any further selfishness take away from her health.

He wasn't sure how long they slept, but Erik later felt Laurette shifting within his arms and he opened his eyes. She was looking right at him and her eyes were the most beautiful thing he ever saw. Laurette gave a sleepy smile and Erik could not help himself and bent down to kiss her. But now conscious that she was still in his bed unclothed was a bit too much for him as he felt the loss of control once more.

He pulled away from her and got up. She actually looked slightly disappointed to him but said nothing. He lit a few more candles in the room as some had gone out during the night. Seeing that it was already morning by the clock, Erik retrieved the dress and shoes from the chair, then gently laid them on the bed.

"I thought you would prefer to change into this for your journey," said Erik quietly looking at her.

Laurette sighed and sat up, clutching the blankets to her. "I cannot believe it is already time, that I have to in fact return to his estate," said Laurette in a sad voice. Seeing her like this only made Erik feel even more selfish.

"I could just keep you here," he said softly. Part of this was an invitation and part was simply a threat that he could do such a thing even against her will.

"It is tempting," replied Laurette much to Erik's surprise.

He reacted with excitement. She actually wanted to stay with him, even down here. Erik had the opportunity to never be alone again. Madame Duprey could simply disappear. He could work on his own music, even with her. They could secretly watch all future performances together.

But who would direct them? Sadly, Erik realized if he kept her down here with him, she may not be truly happy. He loved her too much and only wanted her happiness.

"You would be giving up your dream," said Erik looking at her.

"But you are now part of that dream Erik." She reached up and he sat down on the bed, holding her.

His heart ached badly as Erik did not want her to leave. He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. "You already have me Laurette. That will now never change. But if you stay down here, you will lose what chance you have left of remaining as the director," Erik said quietly.

He secretly hoped she would disagree, but even then he could not allow her to stay with his conscious telling him it was wrong. Laurette also needed to regain her health and down here was not the best place for her. She looked down with a sad look and then slightly nodded. Erik kissed her softly on the forehead and then stood up.

"You need to eat before the journey. While you dress, I will go find something, unless…you need help?"

"No, I will be fine," Laurette said pursing her lips and smiling with a blush.

"Very well," he said sighing.

Erik turned and left the room. Moving down the steps, he went to his forest. Erik had created this underground room of life that nurtured quite a few trees, plants, and even flowers. He had discovered an ingenious way to allow a large amount of light to filter in with a number of strategically placed mirrors that went up to the above stable and outside.

The only problem was that he still could not see if the light was particularly bright and Erik usually only visited the garden when it was a rainy day or at night. And unfortunately, this morning seemed to be a particularly bright one. He cursed himself for not doing his regular chores and collecting any food from his garden.

Although he sometimes would steal food from various places, Erik liked having his own resources to provide for himself, especially these last few years with no one occupying the Opera House. Standing just outside of the light, Erik spotted his apple tree, ripe with a number of fruit. Wincing, he made straight for it and quickly gathered a few from the trees. It wasn't much, but he knew Laurette would hardly eat anyway. Erik would be satisfied if he could get her to at least eat something. He washed them in the fresh flowing stream that ran through the room out into the underground lake which then led outside from a cave. He of course had made such an entrance impossible for anyone to get in, not to mention the traps he had set should anyone even figure out such a thing.

Returning into the darkness, Erik made his way back to his room. Climbing the stairs, he slowed and then peered in at the door, secretly hoping he would in fact catch Laurette still dressing though he knew it was not the proper thing to do. But his physical hunger had been awoken with such a new experience with her. It was even harder now to deny his need.

But Laurette already had the dress on, though she was struggling to put on the shoes as she lost her balance. Still quite weak, it was hard for her to do such a thing when she was standing. Sighing, she sat on the bed trying to bend over and reach for them.

Erik walked inside the room and set the apples down on the nightstand. Seeing his feet, Laurette looked up as Erik knelt down to retrieve the shoes. Taking one, he slipped it onto her foot.

"Why didn't you just leave them on the bed so you could put them on while you were sitting?" asked Erik somewhat amused as he reached out to hold her other tiny foot for the other shoe.

"I don't know, that is just the normal way I put them on by stepping into them on the floor," she said defensively.

He looked up at her and she gave way to a laugh. He smiled in return and thought for a moment that being at her feet like this was indeed the way he felt all the time. She had no idea what power she now had over him. This irritated Erik slightly as he once again felt the possibility of her breaking his heart as Christine had. Now that Erik had experienced an intimate relationship with Laurette, it would be even worse.

"Erik?"

Her voice returning him away from his thoughts, Erik stood up. He retrieved an apple and gave it to her. Thankfully, she bit into it right away without any argument.

"Will I return in a few weeks for rehearsal?" she asked.

"No," said Erik quietly. "Dr. Charette believes if you do well enough then he may allow you to perform in a few weeks time for the actual production. I do not believe he will allow you to travel until that time. Don Carlo is an easier performance. Do you think you would be able to perform it without practicing with the Company?"

Laurette's eyes widened a bit but she thought for a moment. "There are a few scenes in which she interacts with more then a few other characters, but for the most part, Elisabetta is by herself or just one other person. I am sure I can manage through," Laurette said and took another bite of the apple.

"I am sure we will think of something. It seems we were able to still communicate through our letters at least," Erik said now sitting beside her on the bed.

"Yes, I was quite relieved when you posed yourself as Gautier. Monsieur Garier's staff generally seems to know everything and even open my mail before I can see it. They pass it off as a convenience to me, a proper thing of conduct as a servant to open a letter and not look at it but then give it to me. I know otherwise as they are most faithful to Monsieur Garier. In fact, he has mentioned Monsieur Rosseau's name a few times. It is quite obvious he does not want to be surprised again and is most likely looking for any word from him."

Laurette finished the apple and wrapped it in a napkin Erik handed to her. He was quite happy she had eaten all of it.

"I will be sure to coach the cast to help you during the performance," said Erik.

"Speaking of servants," said Laurette, "I see that you now have one of your own. I never thought you would give into such a thing. How interesting you quickly put down society but then adhere to hiring a servant," she teased him with a smile.

"Yes, well someone forgot to mention to me about a particular duty in arranging the housekeeping staff for cleaning the Opera House before performances. I would have thought Bernadette did such a thing," complained Erik.

"Oh please, that woman only serves to please Monsieur Garier directly. If she had to supervise a cleaning staff here, that would take her away from him. She can't take the risk of him favoring some other servant. I am sorry I forgot to tell you. I was so used to doing it at my stepfather's house that it was a normal routine for me. I was quite grateful that here I didn't have to do some of the cleaning myself!"

"Yes," said Erik in a grave tone, "I am sure Monsieur Garier would have done such a thing if he had thought of it. I am glad Dr. Charette will be with you. He can make sure you are not shoved out of the carriage to walk the rest of the way."

Laurette looked at him nervously. "It was my fault really," she said.

"What?" _How could it be her fault?_

"Monsieur Garier was in a rush and decided not to travel pass the Opera House after visiting a friend of his. I was upset and told him that he had to take me here. I willfully provoked him with my anger and then he shoved me out into the rain, leaving me there."

"And this is _your_ fault?" asked Erik harshly.

"I simply cannot act that way around him Erik. I must control my anger or I will lose everything."

"Including your health," said Erik bitterly. "Laurette, anyone who does not care and throws someone out into the rain is the one at fault. Do not let him manipulate you into thinking otherwise."

"I have no choice."

"Yes you do."

The clock was chiming and Erik realized it was already late in the morning. He did not want to end their last moments together in an argument. "Laurette, I…I only want you to be safe. I cannot stand the thought of anything else happening to you."

Laurette sighed. "I know Erik. Let us agree that we both feel that way. I worry about _you_ all the time. I forced so much upon you. You have risked too much."

"No, it is your influence in me taking the risk that has made me feel alive again Laurette. And you know I would do anything for you."

"Even if that meant your life Erik?"

"Yes."

Laurette shook her head. "I could not live with myself if such a thing ever happened."

"Yes you could. I tell you now that I have no regret. I may not even been alive today if all this had not happened. My life was fairly complete until you arrived. If I were to die tomorrow, take comfort in the actuality that you made my life more worth then I ever could imagine."

She smiled and he kissed her again. Looking at her, she seemed very tired. He needed to take her to Dr. Charette so she could get more rest. Erik stood up, holding out his hand to Laurette. Taking it, she very slowly stood up from the bed. He looked at her with concern.

"Ready?"

"Yes," she said slightly smiling.

Erik placed his arm around her and they left the room. Descending the stairs carefully, Laurette was extremely still weak he realized. In fact, even with him holding her, she almost fell. He quickly picked her up into his arms.

"It's easier this way," Erik said slightly grinning at her shocked face when he so suddenly swept her off of her feet. He began to walk down the steps holding her. "Or perhaps this is just an excuse for me to hold you again."

"Well then it is a good excuse," Laurette said smiling.

Once at the bottom, Erik gently put her down. Looking at the lake with the boat, Erik once again decided not to take her that way due to the coldness. He led her to a dark opening in one of the opposite walls with a staircase up to the Opera House. Once again, Erik picked her up and now began to climb the steps.

"You cannot carry me the whole way Erik," protested Laurette with her arms tightly around his neck.

"Why not?"

"Because, you could hurt yourself."

"Oh yes, that one apple you just ate is making you quite heavy," said Erik shaking his head in amusement. "Laurette, I am not going to make you climb so many steps in your condition. Besides, I am not that old and out of shape!"

Laurette laughed. "Well I would guess that you are still several years older then me."

"Perhaps, but I would think from the other night you would realize just how much energy I do have." She said nothing and he wished it was not so dark so he could see her blush from such a comment. But he felt slightly guilty again as he remembered hurting her due to his lack of physical control.

Reaching the upper ramps, Erik finally set Laurette down. She reached out and held his hand, not needing any further assistance with his arm around her. For some reason, just holding hands and walking with her seemed just as intimate. He led her carefully down a few corridors; avoiding particular areas he knew traps had been set.

Finally reaching her suite, Erik looked through the mirror and saw Dr. Charette already there nervously waiting. Laurette looked up at him. Without a word, Erik reached down and kissed her softly, her soft lips giving him a generous kiss. He tried to savor the warmth of such a kiss. It would be such a long time before he could experience it again.

Releasing her, Erik tapped on the mirror and walked through. Dr. Charette looked up and upon seeing Laurette, looked quite relieved.

"You are looking well," Dr. Charrete said brightly. He looked at Erik. "The carriage is already waiting. Monsieur Garier is not here fortunately, but his butler is downstairs with Mary. No doubt Monsieur Garier thought I would produce Madame Duprey if I wanted to continue and practice medicine."

"Dr. Charette! We are waiting!" called a male voice outside of Laurette's suite.

Laurette looked up at Erik and then wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him. Erik held her for a few moments with his eyes closed. God, how he did not want to let her go. Still holding her, Erik opened his eyes and looked at Dr. Charette who had turned slightly away to be courteous during this intimate moment. He released Laurette and gave her hand to Dr. Charette.

"I will not leave her Erik," he said trying to assure him taking her hand.

The doctor reached over to a chair and retrieved a white cape. Placing it around Laurette, he made sure the hood of the cape covered her head. Laurette gave Erik a slight smile but he could not do so in return. He was desperately trying to contain his emotion as he allowed the doctor to lead her to the door. All he wanted was to grab her and take her back down below with him.

But before he knew it, they were gone. Erik felt the lonely silence of the room sweep over him and the darkness of his world returned once again.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

As the next few rehearsals passed, Erik continued to work hard on the production. Things were going well with the exception of Justine who was becoming even more increasingly annoying.

"This is ridiculous," Justine said as he stopped during a song with Julia. "How is Madame Duprey even going to know where to be with me on the stage?"

Erik held back a frown. "I told you that I am sending her diagrams of the stage spots we have discussed. It will give her some idea as to where she needs to be and you will be leading her," explained Erik trying to be patient.

"But what about all the cues in the songs? I mean, even with Julia we've had to practice the timing on some lyrics together."

"Laurette knows the songs quite well. I know her style which is what I am teaching you."

"Lau-,"

"_Madame Duprey_," said Erik sharply before Justine could question the name of Laurette again even though he already knew Justine's arrogance would make sure to point out that Erik had done it again. Now that he had been so intimate with her, Erik was having even a harder time using her formal name.

"Oh," said Justine with a softer face, but then he quickly regained his composure. "Well, I am certain that with me in the leading role, I can be sure to cover for any of her mistakes."

"Justine, do you not know how arrogant you really are or is that just your true nature?" asked Erik in annoyance.

Julia who was still standing on the stage looked nervously between both of them. Most of the Company had also become fairly quiet in listening in on this conversation.

Justine laughed. "Oh Maestro, it is simply just me of course."

_Of course_, thought Erik. "Well I am sure Madame Duprey would appreciate it if you came down to her _amateur_ level."

"Madame Duprey with that voice of hers is a skilled opera singer. She is in no way an amateur."

"Exactly Justine."

"Ok, ok, I get your point Maestro."

_Thank God_, _otherwise_ _I may have to beat you in front of the Company_.

"Maestro, I do apologize," said Julia with a concerned face, "I have to leave early. My father will be waiting for me."

"I cannot believe you are still doing that," said Justine.

"Shut up Justine. It is none of your concern."

"Oh please. Maestro, do you know what she is going to do?"

"I said shut up Justine."

"Her father wants her to meet a few prospects." Julia was now looking quite embarrassed but Erik did not understand.

"Prospects?"

"Possible matches for marriage," explained Justine. "Really Julia, I would think you of all people would not condone such a forced tradition."

"You don't know anything about it!" snapped Julia back. "My family has had arranged marriages for generations! My father is only looking out for me to make sure I have a good match."

"Are you listening to this Maestro? Like a deck of cards in a game. Julia has to find the most appropriate match to win the money."

"As if you are any better," said Julia in a harsh tone. "I distinctly remember you saying you would only agree to a match if the girl was pretty."

"No, I would just want to make sure she was pretty. A match for life I would never agree to!"

Erik wasn't sure what to say. Other then a few annoying conversations with Justine, he rarely was involved in such personal issues. And if they were anything like this, Erik was more then happy not to participate.

"Oh like you know anything Justine," said Armond a few feet away.

"I know I would not have someone choose for me," said Justine.

"Yes, well you both have something in common you know," said Armond in a low tone.

"What could we possibly have in common over this situation?" asked Justine shaking his head at Julia.

"Neither of you would marry for love."

Armond walked away. Julia and Justine silently looked at each other.

Erik broke their silence. "Alright, if Julia will be leaving, let's work on more of the duet between you and Andre," he said to Justine.

"Well, maybe I should not leave," said Julia. Erik looked at her questioningly.

"Now you are coming to your senses," said Justine.

"Well, I mean, for the good of the Company anyway. We have so little time to rehearse."

"Right, right. You mean you finally have chosen wisely to stay with me," said Justine with a smirk.

Erik was losing his patience. They were wasting time. But he also had to admit that for the first time he agreed with Justine. He did not want Julia to have an arranged marriage. Why he would care about such a thing he did not know. She wanted a family, to settle down, and eventually get out of the opera world. But Erik was not sure that someone being selected for Julia was the right decision. She was so young, most likely the same age as Christine when he first met her. Julia had her whole life ahead of her and marrying someone for only wealth with no love would be something she might have to live with for a very long time.

"It is true we have little time to rehearse," said Erik using this as an excuse to keep Julia. "It is helpful to have you here. Not to mention if Madame Duprey for some reason is not better, we may need you for the leading role."

"Then I will stay Maestro. But only because _you_ asked me to," Julia said looking at Justine.

"Oh spare me Julia. You know that I am by far a better prospect than anyone else due to my rising stardom," replied Justine smiling.

"I would rather marry someone with a much smaller head, Justine."

"Yes, you are right Julia. There are other parts of the anatomy far more important to be of a larger size that you should look for."

"_Justine_!" Erik's shout echoed through the theater and the Company froze although Armond, Andre, and Maurice were laughing. They quieted down when Erik glared at them.

"Do you _want_ Madame Duprey to fail?" asked Erik in an angry tone looking back at Justine.

"No Maestro."

"Then I suggest you only open that mouth of yours when you need to sing."

"Yes Maestro."

"Joseph, start at the beginning."

Joseph tapped his baton on the stand and the musicians readied themselves. "One, two, three and four!" The music began and the cast moved to their positions.

Erik settled himself back into one of the theater seats and shook his head. He wasn't quite sure if he was a director or someone watching over a group of children. Perhaps he was taking things too seriously as he knew Laurette would generally let the cast carry on sometimes, but that was an entirely different time when they didn't need to worry about rehearsing without one of the main stars.

He sighed heavily as he watched Justine move across the stage confidently smiling at Julia. Erik was certain Justine would never change. But now that he had experienced such intimacy with Laurette, Erik was horrified to finally understand Justine's hunger for women. Not that Erik hadn't felt such desire, especially when he loved Christine that drove him to madness. But now having actually experienced the act was more then Erik could bear. It was as if he now carried it with him as a weight, constantly thinking of it. But unlike Justine, Erik only wanted Laurette and no other woman.

He was pulled away from his thoughts when one of the backdrops suddenly fell from above with Philippe along with it. Julia screamed and Justine pulled her out of the way just in time before it landed upon her. Erik saw Philippe fall on top of it, hitting the stage hard. Before Erik could make it onstage, Maurice was already there.

"Philippe! Are you alright? Oh God!" exclaimed Maurice as he lifted up his brother who appeared unconscious.

Erik strode over to them and knelt down. He reached out, touching Phillipe's neck and was relieved to feel a pulse. But before Erik could instruct for someone to get help, Philippe opened his eyes. Seeing Erik, Philippe jumped to his feet. Startled, Maurice fell straight backwards and hit his head on a nearby fake rock used in the scene.

"Look, he's fine," laughed Armond. "Perfectly fine!"

But Maurice's expression, who was now rubbing his head, turned from concern to anger. "I told you not to move those damn lights! And you did it anyway. Look what you've done. Look what you _could_ have done! You idiot! I convinced Madame Duprey that you would not need anyone to look after you and yet you risk the safety of everyone with your damn headstrong ways."

"Calm down Maurice," said Justine laughing while still holding Julia, "After all, maybe it wasn't his fault. It could have just been a ghost that made it happen."

Erik glared at him. Julia, realizing she was still being held by Justine, shoved him away. But Maurice was not listening. Now standing, he stood over his brother who was wide eyed with fear.

"I can do nothing with you! I have watched over you all my life and yet you still do not listen to me," shouted Maurice angrily. Philippe backed away, shaking.

"Maurice," said Erik as calmly as he could, "Everyone is fine. There has been no harm done."

"Not this time, but how do we know about the next time? No one should trust such an incompetent, careless idiot." Philippe, looking extremely hurt, ran from the stage.

Erik turned angrily to Maurice. "You _will _go and apologize to him. If you do not find him and return him to this production, I assure you that I will show you what real anger can be."

Maurice's anger turned to nervousness as he looked into Erik's narrowed eyes. But then he straightened in his demeanor. "Maestro, you cannot ignore the safety of this Company. How can you trust for him not to do something so careless again?"

"Because we learn from our mistakes," said Erik looking at Maurice coldly. It seemed to suddenly dawn on Maurice that Erik was talking more about himself making a mistake for yelling at his brother and he looked down.

"I will find him," said Maurice quietly.

"Good," replied Erik. "Now, let's get this cleaned up and return to rehearsal."

_Could there be anymore interruptions today_, thought Erik as he walked off the stage. Watching the stagehands quickly gather up the backdrop and sweep up broken parts of the set, Erik once again sat down. As he waited, Gautier approached him with a letter. Erik was thrilled to see that Laurette had written him and he quickly opened it.

_Gautier, _

_I hope all is going well as you continue to prepare for the production. Dr. Charette has still not decided if I can perform in the two weeks time, but I believe I grow stronger each day. _

_I did not get a chance to discuss the last scene with you. The opera must end with Don Carlos alive and being sent to seclusion in the monastery. He cannot be executed as the composer wishes. This is actually not my idea, but has to do with the current government in regards to refusing to sanction any such pessimism of the rebellion in losing in the end with the storyline. I have enclosed a few ways to do this but I need help if you would think on this._

_Thank you for your assistance._

_Best Regards,_

_Madame Duprey_

Erik was a bit taken aback by the tone of the letter. Unlike previous writings to him, there was absolutely no hint of any of her feelings to him. It was short and only to the point with almost with a cold, unfeeling tone. Perhaps it was just that she was too concerned with others reading her letters. But that did not bother her before in regards to slipping in secret notes to him. Erik's mind quickly went to thoughts that she was now having regret. Perhaps she was even only using him for her own benefit to get through the production.

_Stop it, _thought Erik to himself. _She is not using you. Laurette truly cares about you._ But Erik could not help returning to worry that she was going to break his heart.

"Is something wrong Maestro?" asked Gautier who was still standing there.

Erik frowned. "Yes, we have to change the last scene it seems. Tell Joseph to meet with me in the Music Room." Erik glanced at the members of the Company still cleaning the stage. "We won't get anything else done today anyway with the way things have gone. Call the conclusion of rehearsal and we'll start again tomorrow."

Gautier nodded and made his way over to Joseph. After announcing rehearsal had ended, Erik was irritated to see Justine coming over to him.

"Even with your mask on I can see that is not a happy look to see me," said Justine with a smile.

"What do you want Justine?" asked Erik in a low tone. His mood was even worse now with Laurette's letter.

"Well…I was just wondering," Justine paused looking uncomfortable.

"Say it Justine," said Erik in a low tone.

"Well, Maria…she has not been paid yet. Usually she receives pay on a weekly basis."

_Damn,_ thought Erik. He had forgotten all about such a thing with everything else going on. Could it get any worse?

"I will pay her first thing when I see her," said Erik.

Justine smiled. "Thank you Maestro."

"Why didn't she just remind me?" asked Erik.

Justine laughed. "Servants do not ask for money from those who they serve. It is an improper thing to do."

"Well then how would they get paid if they never asked?"

"It is agreed upon in the beginning of the relationship and never spoken again. Usually…well, usually it's not something that has to be reminded."

As usual, Justine had a way of making him feel even worse. Erik would not forget to pay Maria again. He waved Justine off and made his way to the Music Room. Joseph was already there and Erik explained the situation with the ending.

"That certainly doesn't surprise me," said Joseph in a sarcastic tone.

"Why?"

"Because these days the Opera is usually influenced by the government or those who contribute to the arts of course. God forbid a composer's works would be presented with a war story or rebellion that did not end in the proper way of wherever it is being performed."

The door to the Music Room opened and Maria bustled in with her tray of tea and pastries. Setting it down, she looked at Joseph. "Is there anything you would like Monsieur?"

"Tea is fine, thank you."

She smiled. "Maestro, your dinner will be ready in an hour. Would you like to have it in the dining room or here?"

"Here is fine, thank you. And please bring some for Joseph. It may be a long evening." Erik turned to Joseph. "Unless you cannot stay?"

"Tonight, yes. Tomorrow, no. I have promised to conduct a performance at a small theater out of town. Actually quite boring really as it's not an opera. But one has to put food on the table," said Joseph sighing. Erik thought for a moment to volunteer that he could give him more money but then realized such a thing might be insulting. He was learning that the Company, or at least those not brought up in a high society, seem to only want to work for their money. Hand outs hurt their pride.

Maria turned to make her way to the door but Erik stopped her. He handed her a small envelope he had placed her allowance in.

"Thank you Monsieur," she said bowing her head. Then she turned and left.

Erik and Joseph did indeed work late into the night. Drawing from some of Laurette's ideas she had enclosed with the letter, they worked on refining the last few songs. However Erik was almost amused at himself as he wished Joseph would argue with him more. He seemed to go along with everything Erik suggested which should have pleased him but it did not as it only made him wish harder that Laurette was with him. Still Joseph did contribute more then a few ideas and Erik was impressed with his creativity. Finally, they called it a night and Joseph bade Erik a good evening.

But as soon as he left, Maria came back in. Erik thought she was just going to collect the dishes but instead she stood before him looking upset.

"I…," Maria began, but then quite flustered, stood there obviously unsure of what she wanted to say.

"Maria, are you actually my servant?" asked Erik looking at her and tilting his head.

"Of course Monsieur!"

"And you would do anything I would request of you?"

"Why yes, of course."

"Then I would appreciate it greatly if you would speak plainly to me. I do not have the time or patience for the so called proper way of society's rules when it comes to servants speaking their minds. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes, Monsieur," Maria stammered quite shocked at his instruction.

"Good," said Erik. "Now what is it?"

Maria took a breath and hesitated. But Erik's eyes narrowed at her and so she blurted out "You have paid me incorrectly, Monsieur."

Had he not given her enough? "Do you need more?"

"No! You forgot to take out the rent for my room, so I am paying that portion back to you."

"Rent?" Erik was incredulous.

"Yes Monsieur."

She handed him back the envelope and Erik saw more tha half of the money returned. He shook his head as he remembered Justine telling him the ridiculously low wage Maria had requested. Erik had doubled it.

"I am not charging rent to you Maria." He handed the envelope back to her but she would not take it.

"No, you _have_ to charge me rent, especially for such a room."

"I do not _have _to do anything Maria."

Maria responded with an embarrassed look, obviously upset as she realized she had just told him something to do. "Please, I mean no disrespect Monsieur. But I cannot…I will not accept that condition. I always pay rent. All servants do."

"And you would be willing to give up your job for that?" asked Erik in a grave tone.

Maria understood exactly what he was saying. But she lifted her head up high and looked right at him. "Yes," she replied firmly.

Erik sighed. She knew him well enough to call his bluff. There was no way he could fire her now. He knew he would find no one else like her. "Fine. Then if I charge you rent, is the matter settled?"

"Yes," said Maria.

"Will you keep your word?"

"Why of course, Monsieur!"

"Alright then," Erik said as he removed the smallest bill from the money in the envelope and handed it back to her.

"But Monsieur…"

"You said you would keep your word. Are you a servant that does not keep the honor in such a thing?" asked Erik now in an amused tone. He was hitting her weak spot.

Maria grimaced, but took the envelope. "Thank you Monsieur," she said gritting her teeth.

"Your welcome," said Erik happily. Making her miserable with taking the money she deserved had lifted Erik's mood considerably.

She frowned. "You have been a most challenging employer," Maria said. "But I will still accept it."

Erik shook his head but gave a slight inward laugh in response as Maria left the room.

The next day Erik was just finishing Justine's lessons before rehearsal when he saw Maurice approach. He did not see Philippe.

"Where is Philippe?" asked Erik.

"I…I cannot find him," said Maurice in a trembling voice. "I searched all night. He never goes anywhere without me. What if he is lost?" He sat down in one of the theater seats looking extremely tired and worried.

"I am sure he is fine," said Erik although he was secretly also worried. The Company was beginning to gather inside the theater. Maurice put his face in his hands.

"Am I finished Maestro?"

Erik looked back at Justine with irritation to his insensitivity to the situation. "Yes, Justine. Go." He quickly walked off to where Armond, Andre, and Dion were standing. Erik sat down next to Maurice.

"I am sure he will return," said Erik gently.

"But where is he?" asked Maurice looking up. "He has never been in the city very much. What if…what if someone did something to him? Like that serial killer on the loose?"

Erik cringed when Maurice mentioned the serial killer. How little he knew a few of the killings were caused by him. "I do not think that would happen," said Erik quietly. "I am sure we will find him somehow."

"And if possible, I'd like to start Maestro."

Erik looked up and saw Dion standing there with Justine, Andre, and Armond.

"I know it would be another wasted rehearsal Maestro. But we've already talked to most of the Company and we are ready to go out and search for him," said Justine.

Erik looked thoughtfully at Justine. Once again despite his arrogant personality, Justine still surprised him with his true heart.

"It is not a waste of rehearsal. Finding him will be in our best interest for all of us," said Erik looking at Maurice.

Justine smiled and patted Maurice on the back. Dion and Armond quickly moved back to the Company to speak of a strategy in searching the city.

"My Uncle is friends with of few of the local police," said Andre. "I will make contact with them so they can help." Communicating with the local authorities made Erik nervous but he nodded at Andre.

"If you do not find him by this evening, I will also search once it is dark," said Erik looking at Maurice.

"God, thank you," mumbled Maurice. Erik could see he was trying to hold back his tears.

The Company dispersed. Despite another lost day of practice, Erik was indeed pleased that they had come together in this effort. Even with so many of the Company's shortcomings, he realized they were truly dedicated not only to Laurette and himself, but each other. With over one hundred and fifty people looking for Philippe, Erik hoped they would find him soon.

But it was not to be. By evening, Erik received word from Gautier that no one had been successful in finding Philippe. Maurice, who was hoping to hear something and had come back to the Opera House, was at his wits end. Nicole was trying to comfort him, but he actually told her to go away.

"It's all my fault! Leave me alone," muttered Maurice and he left, slamming the theater doors behind him.

"We searched everywhere Maestro," said Justine. "We inquired everywhere. No one has even seen him."

"You've done enough for now," Erik said to those who had come back to the theater. "Go home." Most of them quite weary, nodded and took their leave.

"Will you be searching for him tonight?" asked Justine who had of course stayed behind.

"Yes."

"May I go with you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because Justine, I will search some areas that you should not. Some of them are by far too dangerous, especially at night."

"I can handle myself."

Erik actually laughed despite his annoyance at Justine. "No, I think not."

"But-,"

"I said no Justine."

He looked at Erik with disappointment but nodded slowly and then left. After making sure Justine was gone, Erik went down below to his home. He gathered a few items including a rope and a few knives. He then took a secret passageway that led up to the outside of the Opera House.

It was a cloudy night which suited Erik just fine. The city was darker then usual this way and Erik made his way easily in the shadows down a number of back alleys. He reached the darkest area in the city where the poorest of those unfortunate lived. Erik had been here more then a few times to get things he needed. It had been quite a while since he had last ventured out, but Erik soon spotted a man he knew. He was tall and lanky, his balding head with only a few wisps of black hair left. He had a rather large nose and small eyes. He revealed yellow teeth when he smiled and always smelled of sweat.

"I haven't seen ya in a while," said the man smiling as Erik approached. "Ya have a need for me to get ya somethin? Always nice ta go inta town during the day sometimes. Just give me the money along with my fee and I'll get it for ya."

"I am looking for someone," said Erik. "A very small man, almost a dwarf in size. He goes by the name of Philippe."

The man spit to the side and smiled at Erik. "A man that looks like a mouse?"

"Yes," replied Erik impatiently but also hoping his answer would be no.

"Yeah, I may have seen 'em." He looked at Erik expectedly and held out his hand. Erik gave him some money and the man counted it. Satisfied, he looked up. "This way," he said.

Erik followed him down another alley. A prostitute spotted them coming and immediately walked up to them. "Not now," said the man walking by her, "But ya can bet I'll have somethin' for ya later. Maybe him too."

The woman looked at Erik and smiled. He returned her look with loathing. She was skin and bones with disheveled graying brown hair. Her dress was practically falling off of her and she stumbled in front of him and placed her arms around his neck. The smell of whiskey on her breath was overpowering and she now blocked his path. Erik shoved her aside and kept walking.

"Ya never did like women, did ya?" asked the man. Erik did not answer. He suddenly heard a number of voices and laughter. "There," said the man pointing into a sewer hole. Erik peered down inside.

There was Philippe, tied to a pole, his head hanging down while three men threw food at him as they continued to laugh. In one swift movement, Erik jumped down. The men were startled and backed away. He hid his face in the darkness from them and began to cut Philippe lose with the ropes with his knife.

"Hey," said one man. "What do ya think ya doing?"

"Who the hell said ya could come in our house ta do that?" asked another.

Erik did not answer.

"I am talkin to ya! I _said_-,"

"That you will allow me to take him," finished Erik as he suddenly turned around, grabbed the man, and held the knife to his throat. The other two men started forward but then suddenly stopped in fear.

"What are ya waitin for? Kill 'em," spoke the man Erik held.

"I do not believe that would be wise on your part," said Erik.

"But as soon as ya kill me, they'll kill ya. It's best for ya to let me go." But his two companions shook their heads as they looked at Erik.

"But Delmar," said one man, "He 'as a mask."

Laughter came from above as the lanky man peered in. "Hi ya. I thought I'd watch to see which limb you'd pick this time to cut. But it looks like ya just want to do business and no pleasure," said the man smiling once again baring his yellow teeth. The two men backed away.

"Fine," said the man Erik was holding. "Take 'em."

Erik shoved the man hard into the ground and stepped on his arm, his other hand pulling on the man's hand. He felt quite satisfied when he heard the cracking sound of bones and the man yelled in pain as Erik wrenched his lower arm. He released him, and the man scrambled away.

Erik turned back to Philippe who was now looking at him with shock. He cut the remaining ropes and steadied Philippe as he stumbled forward. Looking Philippe over, Erik was relieved to see that while he was a mess, he appeared unharmed. Erik looked up

and threw up a rope he brought with him to the lanky man. The man caught it and laughing, stumbled away. Feeling the rope secure, Erik grabbed Philippe and climbed out. He set Philippe down and bent to retrieve the rope. But to his surprise, Philippe clung to him and would not let go. The lanky man roared with laughter but then stopped when Erik slowly turned his head and glared at him.

"Philippe, it is alright now. Let go," said Erik gently looking back down at him. But Philippe shook his head wildly and would not release his grasp from Erik's body. "Philippe," he said in a more stern voice, "Let go of me or I will set you back down into the hole."

"Just where a mouse should be," laughed the lanky man.

Under the threat of returning down below, Philippe released Erik, but still stayed put right next to him. Erik sighed and gathered up the rope, although he was secretly pleased as Philippe certainly now trusted him.

"He looks more like a scared rat now," laughed the man.

"Our business is finished," said Erik looking at him with narrowed eyes.

The man shrugged. "Well, ya know where ta find me if ya need anythin."

Erik brushed past him, Philippe still so close that he was touching his arm. Leading him down another alley, Erik cautiously moved along the walls of the buildings. He heard screams and glanced around a corner to see a man on top of a woman forcibly doing his business.

"I paid ya damn money, now hold still," said the man slapping her and then continuing once more.

Erik steered Philippe down a different path until he finally saw the Opera House lights from a distance. It was not far now and he would soon have Philippe back safely. But Philippe unexpectedly ran from Erik.

"Philippe, stop!" exclaimed Erik alarmed that he was not safely near him. But then Erik saw what he was running towards. There, in a large puddle of water lay Maurice. He was moaning and Erik quickly made his way over to him, kneeling down.

Erik suddenly stood up and backed away. Maurice's face was bloody and it was clear that someone had beaten him. He sensed that someone was still nearby.

"Maestro!"

Erik turned and saw Justine coming at him. Following Justine was a large man running up behind him.

Erik took out his knife and threw it.

The knife hit its mark, flying right by Justine's head and into the face of its victim who fell to the ground. Justine was in shock as Erik shoved him aside. The man was not dead, the knife sticking out of his cheek. Yelling, the man suddenly slashed into Erik's arm with his own knife. Erik swore out loud as the pain ripped through his arm and he pulled out his knife from the man's cheek. He quickly placed his knee on top of the man's chest and arm to hold him. Then Erik reached down and slashed the man's throat. The man made a few convulsive movements, but then turned his head, his eyes still open as death took him.

"Oh my God," said Justine. "You…you killed him!"

Erik ignored Justine and tore off part of the man's sleeve, wrapping it around his own arm that was still bleeding. Turning back to Philippe and Maurice, he made his way back over to them. Philippe was holding his brother's head and Maurice was still moaning in pain.

"Help me take him back to the Opera House Justine," said Erik.

Justine nodded and took one of Maurice's arms while Erik took the other. They slowly made their way back to the lights of the Opera House, Philippe following only one step behind. With the doors of the opera house locked, Erik had no choice but to take them through the secret passageway. It was extremely dark and Erik doubted they would remember where it was anyway.

"God it is black in here," muttered Justine as they moved along a few corridors. Erik continued to ignore him until they finally reached Laurette's suite. Erik would have preferred to go to a different room, but this was the closest for Maurice who was panting heavily as they were practically dragging him along.

Tapping on the mirror, Erik led them into Laurette's room and let Maurice fall onto her bed. "Thank you," Maurice whispered hoarsely.

"This is Madame Duprey's room," said Justine who was looking about. "Wait, what business do you have being able to come here? Have you been _watching_ her?"

Erik was not surprised at Justine's thoughts as he was sure given the opportunity, Justine would do such a thing himself.

"No Justine. And no, there is no way you can see into the dancer's dressing rooms," Erik quickly added as he saw Justine looking wide eyed with thought at the mirror.

"Well it can't hurt to ask, can it?"

"Justine, make yourself useful and go find Maria."

"Yes Maestro," said Justine and he quickly left the room.

Philippe had climbed onto the bed with his brother and was wiping off Maurice's face with a washcloth he had found. Erik watched quietly as the two brothers locked eyes, no words at all needed to say what they felt in apology to each other.

"Oh Maestro, you are hurt!"

Erik turned his head sharply at the sound of Maria's voice and winced as she grabbed his arm. "No Maria, please attend to Maurice."

"But your arm-,"

"_Maria,_" said Erik in a stern voice. She frowned and did as he asked. Taking the washcloth from Philippe, Maria began to rinse it. She took off Maurice's shirt and Erik saw the extent of the beating he received with huge black and blue marks covering his chest.

"You could have killed _me_ you know," said Justine from behind Erik.

"You idiot," said Maurice now in a louder tone after Maria had given him some water to drink, "He saved your life!"

"Now how do you know that? The man didn't kill _you_."

"Given a little longer, he would have for sure."

"Well what did he want?"

"To chat with me about opera!" Maurice said angrily and threw a pillow at Justine. "My money of course! You really are an idiot."

"Maestro, sit down," said Maria firmly pointing to an armchair. Seeing that Maurice appeared to be sitting up and doing better, Erik gave in and sat in a nearby armchair.

Maria happily took off his coat and removed the makeshift bandage. She rolled up the sleeve of his shirt. But she could not reach the spot and so she moved to take off his vest. Erik shrank back in the chair, stopping her with his hands. But for the first time since he had known her, Maria completely surprised him by firmly pushing his hands aside and quickly undid his vest and shirt. Erik winced as she pulled the sleeve of the shirt off along with the rest of it. Tossing the clothes aside, Maria examined his arm. Then she took a washcloth and some alcohol. She looked at him.

"I am sorry, but this will hurt." Erik nodded and clenched his teeth as she began to clean the wound. "At least it does not look like you need stitches thank goodness," said Maria. Erik was relieved at her saying this. He wasn't quite sure if he could refrain from cursing in front of her if she had to actually stitch him with a needle and thread. He was better off doing such a task by himself.

"Well," said Maurice starting to stand up. "I thank you. I certainly owe you not only for my life but for finding my brother." Maurice stumbled a bit, still weak but trying to stand. Erik began to also stand up and was about to reply but Maria glared at both of them.

"LAY DOWN! And you Maestro, SIT!"

Without a word, both of them did as she asked and Maria smiled sweetly. "Now, I am going to make some coffee. Does anyone need anything else?" she asked. They shook their heads and she left the room.

"Does this mean we can quietly leave now?" asked Maurice.

"Not if you don't want your limbs ripped off," laughed Justine. "Trust me, if you are caught, she'll tie both of you down. Though I must admit, she may have some trouble with the Maestro," said Justine eyeing Erik.

Before they could talk any further, Maria came back in the room. Erik did not think he had ever seen her so happy. They were trapped in her care and nothing could please her more. She unfolded a blanket and placed it on top of Erik. Maria retrieved the pillow Maurice had thrown and placed it behind his head. Erik sighed and gave up, leaning back into the chair on the pillow. Maria walked back over to Maurice and forced him to get under the covers to keep him warm.

"Don't I get anything?" asked Justine.

"Perhaps if you step into the wash room, I can take some soap to clean out that mouth," replied Maria haughtily.

Erik could only dream of such a thing.

"Well, I have to admit that the Maestro does his job quite well," said Justine. "I don't think I've ever seen a man killed before my eyes and it was done rather quickly."

"Shut up," said Maurice who was looking at Maria as she widened her eyes. She hadn't heard the whole story and did not realize that Erik had actually killed a man.

"Oh Maria, Maurice is right," Justine said looking at her. "If the Maestro had not done such a thing, I would most likely not be here."

_Maybe I was too quick to act on the opportunity_, thought Erik looking at Justine once again in annoyance.

"And he did it with such efficiency too. One slash across the throat, hardly any blood-,"

"_Justine_, if you will please be quiet," said Erik in a harsh tone.

Maria said nothing, but walked back over to Erik and checked on his arm once more. It was as if she was establishing that such a thing did not bother her and she was grateful for him being there for Justine. Then she walked back over to the bed and quickly grabbed Phillipe's arm. He about jumped out of his skin from her sudden hold on him.

"Oh no you don't! You are not going to run away from me!" Maria said now dragging him into the wash room. "You are going to get clean whether you like it or not." Philippe looked pleadingly at his brother but Maurice simply gave a weak smile. After a few moments, a clean Philippe emerged and quickly sat on the bed with Maurice. Erik was feeling extremely tired and found himself trying not to doze off.

Maria looked at Justine. "Out!"

"But Maria-,"

"Out," she said again. "Go home and sleep Justine."

Sighing, Justine bowed his head to her and left. Maria then settled herself in a nearby chair. She began to knit with the needles and thread she had brought with her.

"Are you going to stay here all night?" asked Erik even though he knew the answer.

"Of course," she replied.

Maurice had already fallen asleep and Philippe laid his head down on one of the pillows in the bed. Erik closed his eyes.

Something very bright was shining on his face and Erik tried to open his eyes. It was the morning sun coming in the window. Erik was unsure of how long he had been sleeping.

"Oh I am so sorry!" exclaimed Maria as she moved quickly to shut the curtains. "It was rather cloudy this morning but it seems the sun has decided to come out."

Erik heard a groan and looked over to see Maurice trying to sit up painfully in bed. No doubt his body had become very sore overnight. Erik stood up and grimaced as his arm hurt. But the bleeding had stopped.

"Where are you going?" asked Maria looking ready to do battle with him.

"I am going to get ready for rehearsal," Erik said walking over the mirror. Before she could protest, Erik tapped on the mirror and walked through. Holding his arm, he descended into the depths and retrieved some fresh clothes.

By the time he made his way back up to the Opera House, Erik heard voices coming from the dining room. As he walked through the library, Erik saw Maurice, Justine, and Philippe seated at the table happily eating breakfast. The head of the table was set and ready for Erik as usual.

"There you are!" exclaimed Maria as she saw him. "Now, sit down. You must eat something to regain your strength."

Sighing, Erik sat down even though he was not very hungry. He watched as Philippe helped himself to a huge portion of eggs and bread which he then eagerly ate in just a few mouthfuls. Where he had the room to put such an enormous amount of food in such a small body was beyond Erik's comprehension. Maurice scolded his brother for eating too fast, but also affectionately patted him. Erik noted that Maurice himself was now looking much better as he was smiling despite his pain when he moved.

"How is your arm Maestro?" asked Justine between bites of food.

"Fine," lied Erik. It was still hurting but he would not admit that in front of Maria or else he may find himself back in her threatened care.

"Well, we cannot certainly thank you enough," said Maurice sincerely. "We are forever in your debt."

"As long as you work hard to help Madame Duprey there will be no debt on your part," said Erik.

"Of course we will! The show is only now a few days away. Justine, finish up. We have a lot of work to do," said Maurice happily. They grabbed some more food and headed out of the room to the theater. Erik was about to stand up and follow them but Maria blocked his path.

"Not yet, Maestro," she said firmly. "You have not eaten anything. And coffee does not count."

"Maria, who is the servant here?" asked Erik with narrowed eyes.

"I am. But, since you insist on not following society's rules about such things, then I have decided that I will also not follow them. Therefore, I am going to insist that you do certain things such as eating. That is my main job for me to take care of you, even if I have to do so by force." She smiled sweetly at him.

Erik should have been angry at her but he could not bring himself to do such a thing. And in a way, with Laurette gone, Maria was trying to do things to make him feel better. At this point, Erik needed anything he could to feel better. He still missed Laurette terribly. He sat down and forced himself to eat a few things. Satisfied, Maria happily nodded at him and Erik finally got to leave the room. He made his way down to the theater and found the cast working hard on warming up.

Erik started rehearsal and directed Gautier to set up a number of different areas to practice. The day went fairly smoothly, the Company in a very good mood no doubt as they had already heard the tale of Philippe and Maurice's rescue. Erik saw a number of them between songs whispering to each other and looking at him. He shrugged the matter off. He was in fact a murderer anyway. At least this one saved someone else's life.

Toward the end of rehearsal, Erik motioned Nicole over to him.

"For the first production, I want you to do some more choreography with the final song. I want the reuniting of Justine and Julia's character to come off more dramatic. We won't be performing it for a while, certainly not until after Don Carlos premiers this weekend. But it will be continued to rotate. So you will have some time to come up with something. Can you do this?"

Nicole hesitated. "But Madame Duprey choreographed that production. Most of us really liked what she did."

"I'm not asking you to change what she instructed, only to enhance it," replied Erik.

Nicole thought for a moment and then eyed some of the cast members. "Yes, I am sure I could come up with something. We could add more dancing with all of those in the cast, not just the trained dancers. I would need time with them to practice though."

"You may start today. The last hour of rehearsal is yours."

She nodded and set off to gather those she wanted. She glanced back at him briefly and he nodded in approval. She blushed and smiled back, obviously happy that he believed in her. He suddenly noticed that Dion was looking at her intently. Erik had not noticed Dion take an interest in many of the women, but perhaps he was beginning to warm to Nicole.

Gautier walked over and handed Erik another letter. He opened it and read it quickly.

_Gautier, _

_Everything is on schedule and I will be performing this Friday for the premier as Dr. Charette has agreed to release me to do so. I will then remain at the Opera House the following week to rest under his orders. But then I will return to Monsieur Garier's estate to begin performing for some of his private engagements. _

_I am confident in the Company and look forward to seeing all of you._

_Best Regards,_

_Madame Duprey_

Once again Erik was extremely disappointed in the shortness and tone in her letter. Perhaps she had changed her mind about him. Maybe she now had doubts about everything or realized the monster he really was. Erik could not push aside the memory that he had been too rough with her in their first physical encounter and he doubted she would ever forget such a thing.

Sighing, Erik made his way back to the Music Room. He sat down and wrote a letter in return to Laurette. While he badly wanted to hide a few secret feelings in the wording, he decided to take her lead and did not. The letter was brief but enclosed several new pages of music and stage diagrams. He then left it on the piano for Gautier to take in the morning.

Time passed far too quickly at least for rehearsal time. While Erik felt confident the Company was ready, it was unnerving to be performing it with Laurette who never rehearsed once. He reminded himself repeatedly that the cast had several cues to give Laurette during the scenes. Sometimes, they would literally lead her to spots on the stage. And finally, Erik hoped she studied the music and scenes well enough to have the confidence to appear as if she had been rehearsing with them all along.

While the rehearsals seem to go too fast, Erik's nights were painfully slow. He was unable to sleep even more then ever before. His mind had gone over the intimate encounter with her continually. But Laurette's letters were short and unfeeling. Erik was uncertain how she would react to him when she returned to the Opera House. He was excited at the prospect of her staying a whole week, but his heart was trying to prepare himself for her rejection. And what a difficult week that would be. What would he do if she did reject him? Erik swore to himself he would not do something as rash as he had the last time with Christine. If Laurette rejected him, he would retreat back into his own world for a short time, his final days working on his own music, hoping he would take comfort in this one last experience of his life.

Finally the morning of the Don Carlos debut arrived. The Company, as usual when doing a new performance, was quite nervous. But they were also excited that Madame Duprey would be returning, many of them wanting to show her their progress. Justine's voice continued to amaze Erik in maturity and was indeed the finest male voice he had ever heard. However this was not something he would ever admit to Justine for fear his head may explode. Julia was also doing very well. Even though Erik knew she would never reach the full height of some of the opera divas, Julia had improved in her tone and was no longer considered an amateur.

The Company ran through a dress rehearsal once again making sure to practice particular ways to lead Laurette through the scenes. Overall, things went well and now they simply had to wait.

While the theater was locked and closed with Maria directing housekeeping just outside in the grand hall, deliveries of flowers began to arrive. Except for when Christine sang, Erik did not think he had ever seen so many roses. The cast continued to bring them in when delivered by someone to the theater doors. Placing them in what would be Laurette's dressing room backstage, Erik was unsure how she would even get dressed with so little room.

"Who is _that_ from?" asked Justine pointing out a new arrival of red roses carried in by Andre to the dressing room. Erik saw there were at least three dozen roses with almost gaudy various pink and red ribbons. It was the most overpowering bouquet he had ever seen.

Justine laughed as he opened the accompanying card. "Monsieur Leduc – I should have known!"

"Justine! You should not read that," said Julia grabbing it from him.

"Why not?"

"Because it is private. It was meant for Madame Duprey."

"Oh please, as if she would even read it once she realized it was from him!" exclaimed Justine in a sarcastic tone. "Madame Duprey has by far much better taste in men I would hope."

Erik certainly hoped so. Looking at the dozens of red roses about her dressing room, he suddenly felt as if twenty men were trying to court her. And who was he to keep such a beautiful, talented director?

"Maestro?" asked Julia looking at him as he stood silent.

"I am going to check on a few things," said Erik politely as he now wanted to leave.

"Well, I don't think you'll have any surprises here that you are going to miss. The excitement in seeing more red roses is just more then I can bear," said Justine.

Julia smacked his shoulder. "I think it's wonderful so many are sending her their best wishes," she said.

"Best wishes, oh yes, that is what they mean. It doesn't have anything to do with how popular she is at the moment," replied Justine.

"Excuse me," said Erik not wanting to listen further. He walked backstage and into the Music Room. Shutting the door so he could have some quiet, he sat down at the piano.

Erik wanted to give Laurette flowers like any man could. But he also knew she was not into such material things, especially remembering the night of the ball when she didn't even want to carry the red roses given to her. But then he remembered why. If only he could go into town to get something. But his contact in the city was only out usually at night and Erik could not risk going out into the early evening light anyway.

_Wait, _w_hat about Maria?_

Although she constantly waited on him, Erik had never really asked her for anything personally. If he did ask her to do this for him, it certainly would confirm to Maria his feelings for Laurette. Still, Maria would not know for sure if it was really romantic. She could just see it as a gesture commonly bestowed on a new star at opening night. Did it matter anyway?

Erik stood up and walked through the secret mirror to the back passageways. He entered the library and dining room outside of Laurette's suite looking for Maria. He found her, as usual, cleaning. She was dusting off several shelves and had removed everything onto the dining room table. She looked up and saw Erik.

"Oh! Monsieur! Are you hungry? I wasn't expecting you until later for lunch. Sit down and I'll get all this cleaned up."

Erik shook his head. "Maria, would you…," he paused and sighed, "Would you do a favor for me?"

Maria's eyes widened. "A _favor_? Please, Monsieur, how can you even hesitate to ask?"

Erik breathed a slight laugh. "Yes, well, I do not like to ask for things."

"I do not know why Monsieur. You work very hard and you have done so much for this Company, especially Justine and I. You deserve some kindness in return."

He was taken aback by this comment as it was hard to believe someone thought he was only kind as so many feared him from the Opera Ghost tale. But Maria stood there looking at him with gratitude.

He took a breath, "I would like you to buy some roses."

"Oh of course!" exclaimed Maria. "I saw some beautiful red roses on my way into town yesterday."

Erik shook his head. "No. I want _white_ roses."

"White?"

Erik nodded.

"Are you sure? Red is the tradition for an opening performance of course."

"I am sure," said Erik firmly. "I want thirteen white roses and only one that is red."

Maria looked a bit puzzled by this but quickly regained her eager expression to serve him. "Of course, Monsieur."

"Thank you." Erik reached into his pocket and gave her some money. He then turned and made his way back to the Music Room. He was hearing more commotion in the theater and knew the orchestra and cast were already beginning to warm up even though the performance was still a few hours away. Sighing, Erik sat down at the piano and played the song Laurette had so many nights when he first observed her. Once again, it seemed to soothe his nerves.

There was a knock at the door and Erik jumped slightly but then saw it was Gautier.

"Maestro, we have some questions. Philippe seems to think at the last minute that the side lights should fade away in the beginning of the monastery scene. Joseph is requesting if you would mind should the lead violinist play softer in Act III. And Julia is upset that her costume doesn't fit right."

Erik sighed. "Is that all?"

"Well, no…," said Gautier hesitating.

"Go on," said Erik standing up and letting him lead the way back to the theater. Gautier continued to ramble on about a number of issues, all fairly insignificant to Erik.

As usual, the Company was just nervously looking for anything to keep them busy while also trying to make themselves feel better by making last minute corrections. Upon entering the theater, Erik was surrounded by them. Rather then handle all of them himself, he delegated quite a few to Gautier, Dion, and Armond. He looked at Julia's dress which she was complaining was too long and told her it looked just right. He then nodded at Philippe who was motioning to shut off lights during the one scene. It continued for the rest of the afternoon with him calmly giving answers which in turn made them feel better.

"Maria is back from town. She says she got something for you," said Justine with a curios face.

Erik ignored him and gave a few more instructions to those around him. Then he walked back to the dining room area. There Maria was carefully unwrapping the white roses he requested. She had done a wonderful job in selecting them as they were pure white, the buds slightly opened. She of course had searched every shop for the perfect roses. She began to arrange them expertly in a large vase.

"Would you like for me to place them in Madame Duprey's dressing room?" asked Maria as she stripped a few more leaves off of one stem before carefully placing it in the vase.

"No, if you don't mind, I'd like for you to place them in her suite. There is no room in her dressing room at this point anyway," Erik quickly added as he saw Maria raise an eye at him.

She nodded. "Yes, I do not think I have ever seen so many red roses in my life! You were right to get her something a little different," Maria said. Erik walked forward and took one white rose and the one red rose.

Realizing that he was going to take them and leave, Maria stepped forward before he could turn. "Here is the money left over," she said. "You gave me far too much."

Erik eyed her carefully. She frowned and firmly held out her hand. In response, Erik smiled at her and not saying a word, turned around and left the room without accepting the money. He would have loved to see the furious look on her face after he was gone.

Walking along the back passageways, Erik entered the costume area. The costumes had been delivered the day before by Monsieur Garier's staff as he was still having someone make them. Looking at the various miscellaneous fabric and beads left over, Erik carefully selected a chiffon red ribbon. He tied it around the white rose and then once again stepped through a secret passageway.

Erik arrived at the dressing room in which Laurette would be in. No one knew that this was in fact the same dressing room in which Erik began his relationship with Christine. Memories flooded through him as he thought of her. Her voice was the call of pure light from the heavens to him. It was so beautiful it made his heart throb in agony. Now he would never hear it again.

Through the large mirror, Erik stepped into the room and carefully placed the white rose on Laurette's dressing chair. Someone was approaching and Erik left quickly, not wanting to be seen.

He made his way to Laurette's suite and saw that Mary had already placed the arrangement of white roses on her dressing room table, right outside the French doors of her bedroom. Seeing that Maria was no where nearby, Erik walked over to the arrangement and placed the red rose directly in the middle. He hoped Laurette remembered his comment that red roses were for the color of love. This one red rose in the middle of so many white roses stood out far more then any of the dozen red rose bouquets in her dressing room.

Satisfied, Erik returned to the Music Room to once again find Gautier who was looking for him.

"Madame Duprey just arrived," he said excitedly.

"Where is she?" asked Erik trying not to sound too anxious in his voice.

"In her dressing room. However Bernadette and another woman are in there. They wouldn't even let us speak to her insisting that they had to get her ready for the performance. She couldn't even look at us before they closed the door in our faces."

_Of course_, thought Erik. "Well, the time of the performance is drawing near. Have they started to let the audience in yet?"

"Yes," replied Gautier.

"Good. Go and wait for me in Box five."

"Box five?"

"You do want to see the performance from the audience, yes?"

Gautier hesitated. "Well, yes, that would be wonderful. But…but that box is yours."

"Yes and I want you to join me in watching the performance."

"Thank you Maestro," said Gautier happily.

Nodding, Erik slipped through the secret mirror and walked to Laurette's dressing room and heard female voices.

"Oh and look, these are from Monsieur Petit and these are from the Demers Family!"

Erik cautiously walked to the full length dressing room mirror without making a sound. Apparently they had just finished putting her costume on as Laurette turned around to try and make her way to the dressing room table. As she turned, Erik saw her face and his heart jumped. She was even more beautiful then he remembered. Her face was slightly more white but she looked in good health overall. He hoped she would have enough strength in her for this performance.

"Oh aren't these gorgeous? Look at what Monsieur Leduc sent you! Have you ever seen such a beautiful arrangement?" asked Bernadette.

"Yes, they are magnificent," said the other woman standing next to her.

Laurette glanced slightly at the roses but did not bother to even turn her head. Pulling out the dressing room chair, she suddenly noticed the white rose and picked it up. Erik held his breath watching her closely. Staring at the rose in her hand, Laurette carefully sat down, her fingers touching the chiffon red ribbon.

"Who in the world would give you a single white rose?" asked Bernadette in a condescending tone.

"Someone with taste," replied Laurette harshly back to Bernadette.

Erik smiled, happy that he had pleased her. But he still did not know for sure if she actually still felt the same way about him from her letters. It was clear that the two servants were not going to leave her alone in the dressing room. Although Laurette was obviously annoyed at them, she needed their help with her hair for the performance. Erik watched as Bernadette took her hair all the way down and roughly brushed it as Laurette winced. He would simply have to wait until after the show to see her in person.

He took a last look at her face and then turned down the corridor. Making his way to Box five, Erik already heard a number of the audience in the theater. Gautier was waiting anxiously.

"Did you get to speak with her?" he asked as he saw Erik emerge.

"No," replied Erik, "With Monsieur Garier's servants on top of her we will have to wait until after the performance."

"I do not think I have ever been so nervous in all my life!" exclaimed Gautier taking a seat.

"It will be fine," said Erik. But he was secretly just as nervous. God knew how they would pull this performance off. He tried hard not to listen to the audience comments below.  
"Jean-Claude! How are you?"

"Fine, fine. I see you are in Monsieur Garier's good graces."

"Yes, I was one of the few. I know so many who were disappointed that they did not get a chance to buy tickets from him."

"How is Madame Duprey? I heard she fell ill."

"I hear she is doing fine despite being in the care of that mad man Dr. Charette."

"I wonder how she will sing? This will certainly be interesting."

Erik shook his head and looked down to the orchestra pit where the musicians were getting ready. The lights flickered and Joseph appeared. The audience gave him polite applause. Erik noticed he looked quite nervous.

The lights dimmed and the performance began. Justine as usual gave quite an opening. Dion and Armond performed well also. But finally it was time for Laurette's solo. Erik could feel his heart pounding as she appeared on stage. The music started and she began to sing. Erik relaxed as soon as he heard her voice. It was rather sweet in her tone and texture, but also powerful as she could control it quite well. Laurette's voice was by far more mature then Julia and she reached the upper register easily. In fact, because Laurette sang the song so easily, Erik realized she was singing much quicker then they had rehearsed and he glanced down at Joseph. Fortunately, he seemed to be able to speed up the orchestra and adapt to her lead.

As the music swelled and Laurette moved forward to the spot he had first shown Julia, Erik gazed at her, hardly believing any of this was happening. As she started to sing again, he continued to be quite amazed at her voice. He would have considered Laurette the best singer he had ever heard if it were not for listening to Christine. He wished she would at least look at Box five, but she did not. The ending of the song neared and he saw Laurette look at Joseph for her cue. She improvised much differently in a more sophisticated way then Julia, but Joseph was able to pull it off with the timing of the orchestra.

The song ended with Laurette's voice reaching a very high note that slowly faded away. The applause was thunderous and suddenly Erik realized the audience was on their feet.

Gautier leaned over to him excited. "They absolutely love her!"

Erik looked at Laurette on the stage. Upon seeing the audience rise to a standing ovation, she looked very sad to him. But then she looked up nervously. Erik followed her gaze to Monsieur Garier who was looking very sternly at her and tilted his head while applauding. Laurette bowed elegantly on the stage.

For some reason this made Erik extremely angry. Perhaps it was because it felt as if Laurette was bowing before Monsieur Garier as she was completely at his mercy. Erik clenched his jaw and forced himself to stay seated despite his urge to jump down and torture the man.

The rest of the performance went amazingly well. The scenes with Laurette seemed to work and the cast did their best in giving her cues with lyrics and movement on the stage. The love song between Don Carlos and Elisabetta was especially good. Justine's voice easily matched Laurette's tone and blended well.

Erik felt a stab of jealousy as Justine kissed Laurette during the scene. Justine was perhaps a few years younger then her, certainly many years younger then him. Erik noticed that he was singing particularly passionately in this duet. It was hard for Erik to watch and he even looked away a few times as Laurette seemed to be quite involved in the scene with him. She appeared very melancholy and Justine was no doubt trying to comfort her which fit quite well but continued to make Erik feel unnerved.

The show ended successfully with the new changes put into place as requested. As the curtain came down, the applause once more boomed throughout the theater. The cast emerged and then the applause rose as each character came to the stage for bows. But when Laurette came on stage, Erik wondered if the chandelier would fall down on its own this time from so much vibration of applause from the audience. He had never heard anything like this, even with Christine.

Laurette appeared onstage with Monsieur Garier. With her arm around his, she came to the center of the stage and took a bow. Monsieur Garier forced her to remain and take several more bows before allowing the curtain to come down a final time.

Gautier was jubilant and rambled on to Erik excitedly. He patiently listened and agreed while he watched the audience disperse. It was Erik's understanding from Andre that Dr. Charette would not allow Laurette to attend any ball after the performance as he continued to watch her health closely. This pleased Erik as he would have her to himself after the Company had left. But it also worried him. Things in their relationship may not be the same with his absence from her life these past few weeks.

Finally seeing the last of the audience gone, Gautier and Erik made their way backstage. Upon the acknowledgement that the theater doors were locked, Erik emerged and the Company burst into applause. Several even approached and shook his hand much to his surprise.

And then many of the Company suddenly vocalized their happiness as Laurette appeared. They seem to crowd around her on one side and Erik on the other. They could not reach each other and Erik tried to be polite despite his growing frustration to speak with her. But so many of the Company wanted to speak with him and share in their excitement. He felt flattered in a way that they did this. He had come such a long way from the persona of a murderer in their minds.

"It all worked wonderful," exclaimed Joseph shaking Erik's hand as several musicians around him nodded. "We must try and run one rehearsal with her tomorrow however. I want to be sure we are in better synchronization with her voice."

"Yes," said Erik as he glanced over at Laurette. She suddenly looked at him and smiled.

Erik thought his heart was going stop.

"She was wonderful. But we certainly could not done it without you," continued Joseph.

"Yes, as much as I even hate to admit such a thing, I would have to agree," said Justine who had just stepped forward.

Erik tilted his head at him. "Yes, well I have to say you were very good tonight, even though I too would hate to admit to such a thing."

Justine smiled and then nobly put out his hand. Erik accepted it and those around them laughed in delight. But just as Erik was beginning to feel somewhat better, Julia suddenly came up and threw her arms around his neck.

"Thank you so much," she said hugging him tightly. Erik faltered in his demeanor and stiffened against her. She sensed this and released him looking somewhat apologetic in her direct behavior.

Erik broke the tension and smiled at her. "You see? You can sing well when you have the confidence. You did very well." She smiled happily back at him and more of the cast came to warmly greet him.

Finally the Company began to disperse and Erik could actually see Laurette more clearly. As the crowd thinned, he was now only a few feet away from her. He wished the remaining members would go on their way.

"Maybe we could sneak you out for a celebration," said Justine with a smile.

"Madame Duprey," called Andre, "I won't tell my Uncle if you come with us. We have to show you our appreciation." Erik swallowed as Laurette was able to somewhat depart in her conversation and came forward.

"Yes, let us show you how the real stars of the show celebrate," said Justine.

Laurette gave a gracious smile. "No, I think not."

"Oh Madame, you should not stay here and do nothing," said Andre.

"I think a quiet evening is by far a more exciting thing to me. Besides, both of you deserve more of the attention. I would only be in the way."

"Yes that is true," said Justine. "You might make the ladies jealous and then where would I be?" Everyone around them laughed and Laurette looked at Erik. As they said their goodbyes, she came forward to him.

"You did very well," said Erik politely. How badly he wanted to just kiss those full lips, but he restrained himself.

"Thank y-,"

"Madame did you see how I led you on the stage in that one scene?" asked Armond interrupting as he came up to them.

"Yes, you did a wonderful job," she replied.

"Well we could not have done it without the Maestro. We are forever in your debt," said Armond shaking Erik's hand.

The few remaining around them began to walk backstage out of the theater and Laurette also began to leave. She stopped slightly, looking at Erik to follow her. He hesitated and then placed his arms behind his back and walked with her. A small amount of the Company was lingering in the great hall and they waved. Laurette and Erik nodded their heads in acknowledgement. They began to walk to Laurette's suite.

"I can't thank you enough Erik," she said quietly as they walked separately.

"You really did perform wonderfully. You have a beautiful voice," complimented Erik. She did not respond even with a blush or smile to this comment. He wondered if there was more in fact that she needed to say to him about their relationship now that the performance was a success.

"Good night!" they heard a voice exclaim. They looked back and saw Justine already puffing on a cigar with two of the chorus girls on his arms as he walked out of the Opera House. Andre was not far behind.

Laurette looked at Erik with an amused face. "It is hard to believe his voice can be so mature when he is not."

Erik laughed. "Yes, that is true. There are times I certainly wonder how he has made it so far. He may be the death of me for sure."

Laurette laughed and they stopped in front of her suite. He politely opened the door for her and she stopped smiling as she saw the roses on her dresser. She quietly stepped inside the room and walked over to the arrangement. Erik remained in the doorway, unsure if he should follow. She reached up and touched the red rose in the middle of the bouquet. Erik's heart was frozen now, still unsure of how she was reacting. Whatever it was, he had to find out.

He took a deep breath and stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind him. Laurette did not move and she remained standing there with her back to him, still touching the red rose. Erik very quietly came up behind her and he slowly placed his arms around her.

To his relief, she lowered her hand and squeezed his arm, pressing into his embrace. Her head turned slightly toward him, the back of it resting on his chest just below his chin. He tightened his embrace, breathing in the scent of flowers from her hair. Then he moved his head away briefly looking at her. Laurette's hair was still tightly pinned up and he could not resist as he moved his hands to the back of her head to release the pins. Her hair tumbled down, cascading below her shoulders. Still behind her, Erik lifted her chin and bent down to kiss her.

It was an extremely gentle kiss with controlled passion. He felt her relax even more against him and the kiss deepened. Erik was already lost in the sweetness of it. How long it had been since he had done this with her! He knew he should stop and break away as she needed to rest.

But Laurette very slowly turned her body towards him and now was in his arms kissing him even more deeply. Erik was beginning to ache and he felt her weakening further as he was practically holding her up. His heart was beating fiercely with exultation and he tried to maintain his control as her arms encircled his neck. Then her hands moved to the inside of his jacket on his chest and back up to his shoulders where she shrugged his coat off his shoulders in an effort to remove it. This one signal was all Erik needed and he threw the coat off while still kissing her, quickly returning his hands to circle behind her back.

The costume dress she wore had a corset and his fingers found the ties. As the kiss continued to become even more passionate, Erik roughly pulled on the ties loosening the dress. Laurette simply removed her arms from the sleeves easily and the weight of the dress fell to the floor.

Well, almost to the floor. It would not fall below the crinoline she wore underneath the dress. The fact that the dress had even attempted to fall onto the floor made Erik even more aroused and he quickly pulled the ties of the crinoline to loosen it. But he realized the easiest way to get her out of both the dress and crinoline was to lift her up and out of it. When he did this, Laurette tightened her arms around his neck as he picked her up into his arms.

Gently placing her on the bed, his eyes roamed over her body as he saw yet another tightly fitted white corset and stockings that she wore. She was like a beautiful gift that had been presented to him. He eagerly captured her mouth once more and his hands moved their way downward to her breasts. He wasn't exactly sure how to get this particular corset off but found it had ties in the front. Pulling on them, he managed to loosen it but was frustrated as he still could not reach his hand inside to caress her.

Until now, Erik never realized what irritation clothes could be. And now more then ever he was wishing that they would not be so complicated, especially on women.

Laurette reached up to help him slightly and much to his delight she loosened it enough so that his hand swiftly moved inside to caress one of her breasts. She breathed in sharply when he did this and he took advantage of her releasing his mouth to kiss her neck. She seemed to like this tremendously and arched herself up to him.

Erik was cursing to himself as he was losing control. His own body was heavily aching in agony and he only thought of release from this sweet torture. He wanted so much to be gentle with her but he could not. When she arched upward, he removed the corset from underneath her. He then worked to get the rest of his clothes off as he so badly wanted his own skin touching hers. He was once again kissing her too roughly but he could not stop himself. He felt as if he was close to dying in his eagerness for her. He desperately tried to pull back, his hunger overwhelming. Laurette was once again not helping as she pulled him down onto her causing his physical need to reach its peak.

His fingers slipped off her lace underwear and she was finally nude beneath him. Erik found her and they became one with him almost sobbing in relief from the sweetness of it. He could feel her stiffen again, most likely in some pain as he roughly moved within her. He felt her tremble and she held him so tight that he could not breathe. He was still extremely harsh and he selfishly took his own pleasure. Exhausted, Erik breathed heavily as he still lay on top of her, his head next to hers.

He raised up his head and shifted his body weight to move off of her, but Laurette held him in place and he looked at her feeling badly that he once again could not control himself. She lifted up her chin and gave him a very soft gentle kiss that he felt like he did not deserve. She finally consented to let him move off of her and he rested on his side facing her as she nuzzled into his chest. He lay there stroking her hair and soon felt her body relax giving into sleep. Erik himself was so tired he could not think about his worrying thoughts any further and closed his eyes.

Later in the night, Erik felt some warm flashes of heat against his chest. He opened his eyes and looked down. Still lying on her side facing him, Laurette was softly kissing his chest. Erik tightened his arms around her still unbelieving that all of this wasn't a dream, but she continued to nuzzle against him.

He reached down and lifted her chin up, then pressed his lips against hers. The kiss became more intense and he slowly pushed her onto her back amid the pillows. Having satisfied himself earlier, Erik was determined this time he would be gentle with her and find some way to return the pleasure she had given him. Not having much experience, he wasn't quite sure how to do this so he followed her reactions as he moved to kiss and touch her.

Remembering she seemed to like her neck being kissed, Erik returned to that area and he felt her begin to breathe deeply. She was actually pushing his head down somewhat and he lowered his head for the first time to her breasts. He softly kissed them and Laurette held the back of his head tightly. He finally took one in his mouth and she inhaled sharply. Unfortunately, Erik felt the familiar aching rising fast again but he forced himself to concentrate on her reactions. But the more she seemed to like what he was doing, the more he was beginning to ache. She pulled his head up and his mouth found hers again. Before he could stop her, Laurette moved her body beneath his and pressed herself up to him. With every ounce of strength he could find, Erik very carefully and slowly moved within her. But once again she suddenly stiffened in pain.

_Goddamn it_, thought Erik. What could he do? Perhaps women simply gave in to men in the act of love but got nothing out of it physically in return. Or maybe he was just too damn ignorant to know what it was he should be doing.

But then Erik felt a familiar tremble deep within her and she once again tightened her arms around him almost not able to catch her breath. He suddenly realized what he had thought had been pain was actually extreme pleasure. Just as with him, their physical union brought such pleasure that it in fact almost felt like pain with the intensity of it and this was actually the reaction to her release.

Laurette strongly kissed him and urged him to continue. He could no longer hold back anyway, especially pleased at this new revelation with her finding such pleasure from him. Within just a few moments he found his own relief and he held her close to him as he tried to catch his breath. Not wanting to linger long as he was crushing her, Erik rolled over and this time brought her with him in one motion so that she was lying on his chest. He kissed her forehead and stroked her hair.

"I love you," she whispered.

Erik froze not believing she actually said the words. He squeezed her tightly. "And I love you…more then you will ever know." He meant it as she could not see the pain she had erased from him. While his soul may not be saved, it did experience what true life in this world could offer. Sighing, Erik closed his eyes to go back to sleep with her in his arms.

"What do you think about having Justine come more forward at the ending of the last song?"

Erik opened his eyes surprised she was asking him such a thing. "I _think_ that you need to go to sleep. You have another performance tomorrow or rather today," he said glancing at the clock in the moonlight. "You need your rest."

She propped herself up on his chest, her eyes now looking straight into his. "But do you think it would be better? I think he was too far away. I hated that we had to rewrite the ending. But I want Don Carlos to be vivid at the end, not to fade off. What do you think?"

Erik was incredulous as he looked at her in the darkness. He could not help but smile. "If I tell you, do you promise to go to sleep?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I think Don Carlos is vivid even in the background. His final song is what leaves the lasting imprint." Erik raised his finger to her lips before she could speak. "You promised," he said amusingly. "I did _not_ say you could argue your point in return."

She frowned at him but then smiled and lowered her head back onto his chest. He squeezed her again in his arms and once more closed his eyes feeling happier he ever had been in his life.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Erik could hear the clock in Laurette's room chiming. He opened his eyes and realized that it was already later then he liked to be up in the morning. But as he gazed down and saw Laurette still in his arms, he had the feeling not to go anywhere. He could stay in bed this way for the rest of his life with her for all he cared.

He heard a sound and realized Maria was most likely finished making breakfast. Then another thought occurred to him. Servants usually assisted dressing their mistresses and Erik remembered seeing Maria happily cleaning and steaming several of Laurette's dresses for her return to the Opera House. Maria may know about their relationship, but it was never certain. Rather then taking the chance for her to come in and see him with Laurette in bed, Erik carefully eased Laurette out of his arms and got up.

Quickly getting dressed, Erik searched on the floor in the sitting room outside of Laurette's bedroom for his jacket. He stood up irritated when he could not find it. He did not want to leave it behind for Maria to see. But he froze as Laurette's dressing chair in front of him was called to his attention.

Erik's jacket was hanging neatly on the back of it.

He suddenly noticed Laurette's costume dress she wore the night before now hanging in armoire. As Erik retrieved the jacket, he glanced sideways and could see Laurette sleeping peacefully in bed. No doubt Maria saw him in bed with her earlier. The whole thing shouldn't matter but Erik was extremely private when it came to his relationship with her. The thought of Justine finding out caused a streak of anger to run through him. Much to his dismay, Erik realized he would have to say something to Maria. The thought twisted his stomach into knots in regards to discussing such a thing.

Shaking his head, Erik turned and went below to change. When he finally arrived at the dining room, he did not see Maria anywhere in sight and realized she must be in the kitchen. He sat down quietly contemplating what he should say to her.

The morning newspaper she had laid out on the table caught his attention. There on the front page was a heading that stated "Madame Duprey, the True Diva of Opera!" His eyes narrowed at such an arrogant thing to be said about Laurette. As he read the article, it was clear she had more then doubled her overnight success. He further read a few opera critic articles including one from Monsieur Valee and Monsieur Renaud in which both gave raving reviews.

"Good morning Maestro!"

Erik looked up startled as Maria was practically on top of him already pouring coffee into his cup. She was smiling as usual.

"Is Madame Duprey awake?"

Erik hesitated hearing her question which was in fact confirmation that she had seen them together in bed. "No," he replied.

"Well then I will give her some more time. I'll check on her in a little while," she said in a steady tone. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No…"

She nodded and briskly turned to make her way back to the kitchen. Erik had to say something. "Maria…"

She stopped and turned back to him. "Yes Monsieur?"

"No one…no one knows…" About _my relationship with Laurette_ is what he wanted to say but could not bring himself to say such a private thing for him out loud. Maria looked at him quizzically but then he saw her eyes widen.

"Please Monsieur," Maria said quietly with calmness, "Although I know we disagree on the rules of upper society, I can assure you that one rule we would agree upon is that servants do not speak of any private matters, to anyone. Not even my husband," said Maria.

"Not even your husband?" asked Erik.

"I have little doubt there are many things that go on in his own employment with the man he serves. But we do not speak of it. It is…dishonorable to do such a thing as a reputation of a superior servant. Many secrets go with us to our graves."

Erik knew Maria could be trusted, certainly when it came to his identity in general. In the short time she had known him, Maria already had done a number of things including not telling Dr. Charette about him when he first appeared.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome, Monsieur," she said smiling again. And she quickly disappeared behind the kitchen door.

Erik spent more time on scanning the newspaper for yet even more articles on Laurette. All the articles were good if not overwhelmingly praising. Even though Erik was proud of the Company and astounded by Laurette's voice himself, he could not help but feel slightly disappointed. Unified agreement in Laurette as a star only meant further delay in her ever returning as the director.

He heard the door open and Erik looked up to see Laurette being escorted in by Maria. She looked absolutely radiant to him. She wore the fairly simple but very sophisticated blue dress with long sleeves. Erik knew Maria had been the one to buy this for her after he heard her fussing how the dressmaker dimensions could easily be matched with what she could find in some exclusive shops with dresses already made to fit Laurette. The dress she chose was in fact to Laurette's style and taste yet made her appear quite lovely in all the sense of a young beautiful woman.

Laurette smiled at him almost shyly as he stood up and helped her to sit down at the table. As he sat back down, his attention was caught by her hair. Laurette's hair to him was always beautiful, but this morning it looked very pretty. It was even neater in appearance and appeared almost like fine silk.

"What?"

Erik smiled as he realized he was staring once more. "Your hair looks lovely this morning. In fact _you_ look quite beautiful."

She blushed much to his delight from his comment. "Maria insisted on doing my hair. She seemed to know the way I like it but did a much better job then I could."

"I am glad she could assist you. You still need much rest Laurette."

"Yes, well I am not used to such a thing. Even at Monsieur Garier's estate, I usually insist on the servants leaving me alone. I would rather bathe and dress by myself."

"Bathe?" Erik was surprised servants would even help her with this.

"Yes," said Laurette still blushing, "I daresay Maria has been the only successful servant to help me in such a way in the morning."

A flash image of Laurette being given a bath was all Erik could think of at the momentIn fact, he was already having quite a number of lustful thoughts from last night. He shook his head as if to shake them from his mind.

"Well you look beautiful," Erik said quietly and reached out to hold her hand on the table. She squeezed his hand in return. Maria suddenly came in and she tried to release her hand from his grasp, but Erik held her firmly. Much to his delight, Maria did not bat an eye and placed a good deal of food on her plate.

"You must eat Madame," said Maria firmly.

Laurette widened her eyes at Maria in response as if she was surprised to hear such a thing from a servant. "I _must?_" asked Laurette.

Erik thought for just a moment Laurette was actually being somewhat aloof and then realized she had a smile that turned into laughter.

Maria's face reddened. "Oh please Madame, I mean no disrespect. It's just that-,"

"That she is telling you what she has been asked to do," said Erik amused looking at Laurette.

Laurette looked between the both of them. "Oh wonderful, I see both of you will be watching every small movement when it comes to what I eat," she said sighing.

Maria simply smiled in response and went back into the kitchen.

Erik released Laurette's hand. "Eat," he said sternly looking at her. She frowned but picked up her fork and poked at the eggs on the plate.

"Monsieur Garier managed to get the medical board to agree that after tonight's performance I am allowed to make an appearance at one of his social engagements," she said quietly.

This did not please Erik at all. "How far away is it?"

She shrugged. "I know it is outside of town."

"And how do you know Monsieur Garier will return you here to the Opera House," Erik demanded. "Or will you be forced to walk again?" God how desperately Erik thirsted to kill this man.

But Laurette simply smiled. "Oh I do not think that will be an issue this evening. He will have no interest in me except to show how polite he is."

Erik looked at her questioningly as she continued to smile.

"He has a new companion this evening. She is a Duchess from the Windsor family. He will want to look most noble in front of her. Not to mention, he will want me quickly out of his way so he can be alone with her."

This did relieve Erik somewhat. Not only with the journey after the performance tonight, but that Monsieur Garier was continuing to focus his attentions on other women. He seemed to be leaving her alone, at least for the moment. He reached out to hold her hand again but then quickly retreated it when the door burst open and Justine strode across the room beaming at Laurette.

"Madame!" exclaimed Justine with a wide smile. He immediately came over to her and kissed her hand. Erik narrowed his eyes at him.

"Hello Justine," replied Laurette smiling at his direct behavior. "I am surprised to see you here so early."

"The Maestro has been giving me voice lessons in your absence," said Justine as he moved to the other side of the table. Not waiting for Maria to scold him when she emerged from the kitchen, Justine quickly found a nearby plate and began to pile food onto it. "I sometimes like to make sure to arrive a bit early – to make sure I'm on time for him of course."

"Yes, he's made it a point to arrive early every morning," muttered Erik in a low voice. Laurette held back her laughter with a slight gesture of her hand to her mouth. She recomposed herself and then to Erik's surprise and delight, she reached for his hand under the table.

"Madame, are you still not feeling well?"

"What makes you say that Justine," said Laurette squeezing Erik's hand under the table.

"Because you haven't eaten a thing," said Justine frowning.

Erik's eyes shifted slowly from Justine to Laurette. Even with a mask on, she could see the look of concern and irritation at her. She sighed and released his hand. She continued to poke at the eggs on her plate.

"Laurette," Erik said softly, "you must eat. Please…." She pursed her lips together and then forced herself to take a few bites.

Erik suddenly realized Justine was staring at them, not eating. He obviously saw in Erik's remark a sense of affection for her. And Erik had said her first name in front of Justine again. _Damn. Damn. Damn_.

"Justine!"

Erik looked up to see Maria fuming. "Go on. OUT!"

Justine got up with a guilty look upon his face but then turned back to them. "You are coming to rehearsal aren't you Madame?"

Laurette smiled. "Yes."

"Good."

_Yes, good. Get going before I throw you out, _thought Erik.

But just as Justine made his way to the door, it burst open again with Gautier and Maurice. "Madame!" they exclaimed as if they hadn't even seen her from last night and she laughed. It took every ounce of control Erik had not to shove them all out. He wanted Laurette so badly alone to himself. But as they continued to laugh with her, Erik saw that was not going to happen. He would need to be patient. How selfish he was! The Company hadn't seen her either and he had all week to spend with her.

_Including more nights_, thought Erik with a wave of desire washing over him with thoughts once again of last night. He shook off the feeling and stood up.

"Since it appears we've started to gather, why don't we move into the theater," Erik said.

"Oh but it is still early," said Maurice.

"I have little doubt that most of the Company is not already here," said Erik with confidence. He wanted to take Laurette's hand and help her stand, but she rose on her own. No doubt this was for the best anyway as Justine was eyeing them carefully now seeming conscious that there was in fact more to their relationship then just love of music.

"Yes, let's go to the theater," said Laurette. "I am most anxious to return anyway."

They moved into the theater and sure enough, most if not all the Company was already there. Joseph strode over to Laurette as did many of the musicians. Erik was once again separated from her.

"Can I just do the scales today Maestro?" Justine looked at him pleadingly. "If we are all here, we shouldn't waste any time while we can rehearse with her. I promise I will warm up properly."

Erik waved him off and Justine happily retreated over to Andre who was already beginning to warm up with the chorus.

Joseph walked over to him." Where do you want to begin?" he asked.

"I think you should ask the director," said Erik. Laurette turned her head to him and he calmly placed his hands behind his back like a gentleman. This was still her Company and she was still the director. Erik wanted to make sure she felt that.

"I think we should review the scene with Don Carlos at the end," said Laurette smiling ruefully at Erik.

He tilted his head at her. He knew she was still trying to have the last word on this issue after last night. He hid a smile and looked down. "Whatever the director wishes," he said and calmly raised his eyes to her. Her smile grew wider at him and Erik tried to control the beating of his heart as he laughed inside himself at her teasing.

"Actually Madame, I was wondering if we could go over your first entrance. While we seemed to do fine, I would much rather run through it at least once. You did the song much more quickly then Julia and we had to change our pace. Not to mention the ending was different then we have rehearsed."

Erik nodded in agreement. "We were lucky Joseph has such a keen ear, but that is one scene we should practice."

But when he looked at Laurette she was no longer smiling. Had his comment to agree with Joseph suddenly made her angry? He certainly did not mean to overrule her in directing.

"I think it was fine," she said quietly.

Joseph looked hesitantly at her. "Yes, it was fine. In fact you were quite amazing. But I am not as confident in my musicians as with your voice. I think it would be good for them to feel more comfortable before tonight's performance just to practice it once."

"But there are other areas we should concentrate much more on," Laurette said.

"Yes, but I would have to agree with Joseph," said Gautier interjecting. "Let them just run through it once."

Erik said nothing, not wanting to appear on their side. But they were right. This was such a little thing. All she had to do was sing one song. The Company would be delighted by this anyway. Unless that was it – maybe she did not want to appear as the singer in front of them. That had to be it.

"Perhaps we should start with the scene at the end as Madame Duprey suggested first. Then we can move to her solo later," said Erik looking at her.

She took a slight breath in either relief or annoyance at him he wasn't sure. "Yes, tell Justine to take his place Gautier."

Joseph and Gautier nodded with respect to her wish and moved off. The musicians dispersed and began to warm up. Laurette moved down the aisle to a row of seats and Erik quietly followed, his hands still behind his back. He still decided to sit next to her – it would be silly if he didn't. But he continued to keep himself guarded in his actions around her, not wanting to appear in any way unprofessional or even as the lead in directing over her.

She made a few changes to Justine's scene and then worked the Company on other areas. After working for most of the morning, she seemed a bit tired to him, but she continued. As they sat listening to the duet between Justine and Andre, Laurette leaned over to him.

"What is wrong?"

Erik glanced sideways at her. "What do you mean?"

"You have not argued with me once. What is wrong?"

Erik could not help himself and gave a quiet laugh. He had been so intent on making sure no one was aware of their relationship as well as giving Laurette the lead in rehearsal. But he wasn't contributing like he usually did.

"Nothing is wrong," he assured her. "I actually have liked most of your ideas."

"_Most_?"

"Yes."

"What didn't you like?"

Erik bit his lip.

"_Erik_."

He sighed. "I don't want to argue with you here Laurette. It isn't…professional in front of the Company."

"Yes, you are right," she said quietly.

She sat there silently for a few moments listening. Erik stifled a laugh as he could see her craving to know what he disagreed with as it was now eating at her. She shifted in her seat.

"I have to know," she finally said.

"It is not important."

"Yes it is."

"I have directed this entire performance Laurette. Now it is your turn. You are and always will be the director."

"I cannot direct unless I have feedback."

"So ask _them_."

"No, I want _you_ to tell me."

"If I say anything, we will get into an argument."

"We _are _arguing!"

Erik ducked his head down to hide his smile as she had raised her voice. The song had just ended and a few of the Company looked at them in question. He was clenching his fists in an effort to keep from laughing as her face turned slightly crimson.

"Let's take a break Gautier," Laurette said in a low tone.

He called for a short break and the Company dispersed.

Laurette glared at Erik. "Come with me," she said firmly to him. They got up and moved to the Music Room. Erik stood smiling at her. Laurette was not amused.

"Erik, I no longer think of myself as the director."

"Laurette…"

"No Erik. We direct together now." She laughed almost bitterly. "It is ironic is it not? That I now share the same fate as my stepfather? I am now the known director while you and the Company secretly keep it going."

"Yes, but your stepfather did that willingly Laurette," Erik pointed out. "This was a decision forced upon you."

Laurette turned and walked over to the piano. Sitting down on the bench, she stared at the keys. "I am trapped," she said quietly.

He badly wanted to touch her, hold her. Before he could act on his thought, Laurette began to play. It was the familiar melody he often heard her playing into the nights.

"What is the name of that song?" he asked.

She stopped playing and looked up at him as he approached. "I do not know. It's been a song in my head since I was a child. As I grew, it grew. I began to play it on the piano a few years ago. It makes me feel better."

"You haven't written it down?"

"No."

"Why not? You could create lyrics to it."

She laughed. "I am talented in my directing skills, but not in writing music. It is actually hard for me to even transpose music, I am certainly much slower then you that is for sure. It is just not a natural talent. I seem better suited at directing a composer's music then writing it."

"Or singing it," said Erik quietly. She immediately looked down as if he had somehow criticized her. "You have a beautiful voice," he continued. He could not understand why this seem to upset her.

"I would rather direct."

Before he could say anything else she began to play again. He gave up and sat down in a nearby armchair listening to the notes and let it soothe him as well. There was a knock at the door and Gautier looked in. Laurette stopped playing. She and Erik stood and returned to the theater together.

As the day wore on, he still did not argue with her. This may have made her quite upset with him but it did not show if it did. But the time had come where she needed to insert herself at Elisabetta. This was in fact upsetting her as she contemplated what to do.

"We really should practice the duet between you and Justine," said Joseph. He looked at Erik for help, but he would give none as he saw Laurette looking almost as if she were in despair.

"I cannot view it from a director's point of view. Let's use Julia."

"Oh please Madame!" exclaimed Justine. "I have been looking forward to rehearsing with you all day. Now that you are here, it would be a waste for you not to rehearse. The Maestro can watch us."

"I would rather not," said Laurette.

"Madame I know you would rather direct, but I need you to practice with me. And I'm sure Armond would appreciate it also. You have a much different style then Julia," continued Justine as he sat down upon the stage, his legs dangling over the edge. He looked at her anxiously as she sat with Erik in the theater seats. "In fact, you have the most beautiful voice I have ever heard!"

Laurette was clearly irritated now as Erik saw her look away with a frown.

"I am not so sure," said Armond smiling. "Madame Duprey's voice is beautiful, but I believe Christine Daee may always have my heart."

Erik's own heart just about stopped when he heard this.

"What the hell are you talking about?" snapped Justine looking up at Armond on the stage. "That woman couldn't sing better then a howling cat! If the stories are true, I cannot even believe the Maestro here actually taught her anything. He is by far much more talented to allow someone like that to sing so horribly." Erik clenched his fists.

"Perhaps she is not now the singer she once was," said Armond. "But I am here to tell you that she had the most beautiful voice I had ever heard."

Dion nodded in agreement. "Like the voice of an angel."

"Well she is no angel today," said Justine in a mocking tone. "I daresay she would crumble if Madame Duprey ever stood before her and sang again. She can out sing the great Countess de Chagny any day."

Erik looked at Justine coldly.

_Let's see, if I grab one of those dangling feet, I could easily drag him into the orchestra pit and beat him with one of the instruments. No, that would be too much of a waste...on the instrument_.

"Please Madame," said Joseph looking at her. In fact, the entire Company seemed to be standing still and looking at her now.

"Fine," she muttered standing up.

She made her way to the stage and Justine gleefully jumped up. He held out his hand to her as she climbed the stairs, lifting the skirt of her dress. She took it, much to the irritation of Erik, and walked up on the stage.

"First Madame, can we practice your solo?" asked Joseph persistently.

"Yes, warm up with your solo. You'll need it to keep up with my singing," Justine teased in his arrogance.

Erik's eyes swept over Laurette as he could see her extremely tense. She almost stood rigid. She had put off this solo for the entire day and now she was faced with it. Why was this issue for her? Was she fearful of losing the respect of the company as a director? Erik knew them well enough that it would in fact only gave her more respect.

Before Laurette could say anything else, Joseph started the music. She sighed deeply and Erik wished she would just look at him once. But she did not and began to sing. She was very soft at first and then her voice rose. It was beautiful and the Company stood in awe.

Erik reveled in the beauty of such a voice. But as he listened and watched, he noticed that her posture had not changed. She stood rigid, almost detached from the music as if she were forcing herself to do this. For a moment, Erik closed his eyes. He could hear the same image of her tense body in her voice. No one else heard this. But he did.

Opening his eyes, Erik watched as she swiftly completed the song, her voice hitting the highest note perfectly. Joseph was smiling as were the musicians who nodded. They felt much better now having practiced it at least once more before tonight.

"Ready for me now Madame?" asked Justine eagerly.

"No."

"Madame?"

"It is getting late. Everyone needs to rest. Our duet was fine and you know it Justine. We need to end rehearsal."

Justine was obviously disappointed and Erik was a bit surprised that she seemed almost harsh with him. Justine bowed his head in respect and turned to leave.

"Justine…"

He turned back to her. "Yes?"

"You really did do very well last night. Your voice has developed far beyond what I could first even imagine. Thank you for working with Erik."

"Erik?"

Laurette's eyes widened as she realized that she had said his first name. Erik was just relieved he didn't seem to be the only one that had this problem in hiding their relationship.

"The Maestro," she said almost gritting her teeth.

"Oh," said Justine looking down at Erik. He almost had what looked to Erik like pain in his eyes, as if she had just acknowledged that he was but only a student to her. Erik was her peer in every way, musically and in heart. Justine nodded and took his leave.

Laurette walked down from the stage. Most of the Company had dispersed so Erik held his hand out to her, quite happy as she took it, almost wanting to erase the earlier joining of hands with Justine.

_You are obsessed_, Erik told himself trying to hang onto his controlled sanity. _Justine is no threat to you and you know it. _

But everything seemed a threat to him when it came to Laurette.

They walked back to the dining room where Maria had a large dinner prepared. Erik shook his head. He knew Laurette would never be able to eat more then a few bites.

"I have been meaning to ask you," said Erik holding out the chair for Laurette as she took her seat. "Why were your letters to me so short?"

"I am sorry, I should have remembered to tell you. Monsieur Garier was in the room almost the entire time. Much to the dismay of the doctor and me, he conducted all of his business from a desk in my room. It made him appear to others as if he actually cared and was vigilant over my health. He kept such a close eye on me that I felt very intimidated to write any long letters. I thought about Dr. Charette coming to visit you and let you know everything was alright. But that would have left me alone with Monsieur Garier."

"A wise decision on your part," said Erik lowly as he took his seat after seating her. "In fact, I do not want you to go after the performance tonight. You need to stay here, away from him."

Laurette shook her head. "He would be furious. It took him a week to work his politics within the board for consent to overrule Dr. Charrette and let me go out this evening."

"I don't care."

She sighed. "I know you don't Erik, but I do."

"What could he possibly do now Laurette? Fire you and the Company? I think not. There are too many sold out full houses. And," he added quite harshly, "You are his meal ticket."

"No Erik. While you are right in regards to those things it doesn't matter to a man like Monsieur Garier. He would go poor before giving into any demands on my part. He will still take the Opera away from me. I have little doubt the more I have gotten to know him, especially at his estate. His decisions are not made by logic, only emotion."

Erik scowled. He hated this. _End it; end him_ a voice was saying in his head. But all thoughts of murder vanished when Laurette placed her hand over his.

"It will be alright Erik. You make me so strong. I could not have done any of this without you."

He sighed and squeezed her hand.

Before he knew it, Erik found himself once more calmly talking to the members of the company in regards to unimportant issues for the performance. They were as nervous as the night before it seemed. Most likely they wanted to please Laurette.

When he had the chance, he quietly slipped into the back passageway and then walked to Laurette's dressing room. Through the mirror he could see her at the dressing table. Her hair was already put up but Bernadette stayed within the room, fussing once more about the roses around her.

"I need time alone to prepare my voice," said Laurette quietly.

"Oh I think not. Monsieur Garier gave me strict instructions not to leave you alone tonight. He wants others to know that his top servant is providing you with care as we watch your health."

"Leave."

"You are a presumptuous little thing aren't you? Now be quiet and finish your make up."

Erik saw Laurette stand up and turned furiously onto Bernadette. She strode right up to her face.

"I will not be told what to do from you. _I_ am the director. _I_ am the lead soprano in this show. You are nothing but a servant! _Get out!_"

Erik was surprised how harshly Laurette said these words. She never would admit to a servant being beneath her, but she did so now. Wide-eyed, Bernadette stumbled backwards. She steadied herself and frowned.

"Monsieur Garier will be most unhappy when he sees me. I will simply tell him the truth – you threw me out of your dressing room." She turned and left, loudly slamming the door behind her. Laurette sank back in her dressing room chair.

Erik slipped inside the room and quietly came up behind her. He bent down and caressed her cheek with the mask on his face while he presented to her an array of colorful flowers – none of them roses. She smiled and closed her eyes. She leaned back into him and Erik could not help himself as he slightly brushed her cheek with his lips.

Erik heard fumbling footsteps and a small crash. Philippe stood just inside the door. He had obviously seen them together in such an intimate way and he was now trying to get back out of the room. Making it finally to the door, he hurriedly opened it back up and ran out.

Erik sighed and went over to close the door. Locking it, he looked back at Laurette. "Well, at least he cannot tell anyone."

She smiled slightly. "He would not even if he could." Her eyes went back down to the dressing table. Erik noticed her hands were trembling and he reached out to catch them with his own.

"You have nothing to be nervous about," said Erik in what he hoped was a soothing voice. He realized now that her entire body seemed to be trembling. Before he could ask why she was so nervous there was a knock on the door and someone attempted to open it. Then pounding.

"God damn it, open the door!"

Erik recognized the voice immediately as Monsieur Garier and as Laurette stood up he stepped in front of her. "No."

"Erik…"

"No, you will not answer. You will see him after the performance when he is with the Duchess. Until then, you are not safe with him alone."

"Erik, if I do not open the door he will take his fury out on someone else. I do not want him to do that to the company."

"No."

"Erik…"

"_No!_"

"Who the hell is in there with you?" shouted Monsieur Garier. Erik had been too loud and he was furious with himself and Monsieur Garier. If Laurette let him in now he knew he would do something to the man in front of Laurette he would regret.

Silence between them followed – Erik stared ant Laurette, her face seeming to follow him in submission to his wishes. They heard more voices outside her dressing room and then another knock on the door. Erik held his breath and clenched his fists.

"Madame? Please? It is time."

Erik let his breath out as he realized it was now Gautier.

"I am coming," Laurette replied softly.

Erik cupped her chin with his fingers, his other hand caressing her face. He reached down and gave her a gentle kiss. Then he retreated behind the mirror.

The performance overall went fairly flawlessly and the audience reacted the same as the night before with a number of standing ovations. Afterwards, Erik walked along the back secret corridors and peaked out to the grand staircase hall. News reporters were crowding around Monsieur Garier and a woman that he could only assume was the Duchess Laurette had mentioned. She had fire red hair that was loosely put up. The dress she wore was elegant but in no way seductive as others who had been with Monsieur Garier. In fact she smiled rather sweetly at the press. She was not to his usual taste in women and this worried Erik greatly. How long would a Duchess title hold the man back from Laurette?

Erik's heart flipped over when he suddenly saw Laurette appear gliding down the staircase. The media nearly went wild snapping pictures and trying to get her attention. She shifted her eyes nervously to Monsieur Garier who glared at her. Laurette forced a smile and Erik shuddered as she took his other free arm. The three of them moved down the staircase and into the night.

Pain. All Erik could feel was pain and the yearning of his heart. It took everything in him not to run after Laurette and snatch her from him. He retreated down below. Cursing to himself, he slowly descended the depths.

"You!"

Erik looked up suddenly and realized he was face to face with a man. He looked familiar, someone he had quickly met at the ball that one night.

"Oh my God, the stories are true. There _is_ a madman who wears a mask!" He turned and ran.

_Damn. _Erik chased after him.

The man catapulted himself into the boat and pushed off before Erik could get to him. "Stay away!" the man shouted.

Erik seethed as he watched him pull away. He raced back up the stairs and took a path to the other side of the lake. He would easily get there before the man could reach Erik's home.

He did. Erik surprised the man as soon as he disembarked from the boat. Coming up behind him, Erik grabbed him and dragged the man who was screaming to a nearby wall.

"No! No! Let me go, damn you!" the man shouted.

Assured that the man was secure in his grasp, Erik pinned him against the wall. "Why are you here?" Erik demanded.

"Oh God, I have been sent to my death!"

"Why are you here?" Erik demanded again.

The man twisted suddenly and Erik lost his grip. The man punched him in the face and his mask fell off. He heard the man's screams and Erik felt another blow to his head that knocked him down. The man began to kick him wildly.

"You are the head of death!" the man yelled, "I will save you from your grotesque face as I will allow the demons to take you!" The man brought down his foot straight onto Erik's face.

Fury engulfed Erik as he felt blood poor down what was left of his hideous face. He grabbed the man's foot and pulled hard. The man fell and Erik quickly positioned himself on top of the man, pinning him to the ground. The man began to scream.

"Oh God, get away. No! Don't kill me I beg you! Have mercy! Have mercy on _your_ own soul!"

Erik hesitated for a moment thinking of Laurette when he knew what the man meant. This would be another black mark on Erik's soul, a step further away from Laurette in death.

Oh for God's sake, did it matter? He was already going to Hell. But deep within him, Erik did not want to be a monster. He only wanted to be with Laurette, for her to make him into what he really could be.

Erik glared at the man. "You will keep what you have seen secret or I will come and hunt you down. I will always be listening. If I hear you betray me then death will come to you swiftly."

Then suddenly the man smiled and Erik was taken aback in astonishment. It was actually an evil grin and the man's eyes almost seem to glisten in the darkness. "I will not keep the devil's secret. I know you tempt me, to promise you silence for my soul. I will not betray Him. If you release me, I will speak so they can hunt you down."

"You would rather die then keep a secret?" demanded Erik.

The man laughed. "I will not give into you, demon."

Erik shook his head almost sadly. "I am not a demon. Do not destroy yourself into thinking otherwise. I am only a man that wishes to be left alone."

"There is no face like that which can be of a human!" spat the man. "Only a demon would possess such a horrific face. My skin crawls when I look at you. How you were not put to death upon your birth I do not know. Your mother must have been a whore tempted and mated to the devil himself!"

Erik's hands clenched down on the man's throat. He would hear no more. He had made his decision. The last breath of life escaped from the man and all was silent. Wearily, Erik stood up. His clothes were bloodstained and he felt a trickling warm sensation running down his neck which only meant he was still bleeding.

Leaving the man where he was, Erik retrieved his mask and made his way up to his home. In his room Erik sat down in front of the only mirror he had. Even then he had no desire to look into it. But he dragged his eyes finally to look at his reflection. He never thought his face could be any worse then it was. He was wrong.

Blood flowed from a gash within the fragments of the hollow flesh in his facial bones. Otherwise it was hard to distinguish what was redness and bruising from the incident in comparison to the grotesque features of his abnormal face.

He was unsuccessful in his attempts to stop the bleeding and Erik cursed as he finally relented with a needle and thread to close the wound. The curse was only out of frustration in having to do such a thing as he felt no pain when he stitched the wound. Aside from his lips and chin that were always visible, the remainder of Erik's face usually kept beneath the mask had no feeling.

Looking back into the mirror, Erik saw the monster looking back at him. Cold blue eyes stared back at him in the reflection. His mouth twisted painfully at the sight of such a face. Laurette was wrong – she would never be able to love him after seeing this. It was not something that could simply fade away from anyone's memory.

The glass shattered as Erik's fist hit it squarely in the middle. Ignoring his hand that was now bleeding, Erik replaced his mask and grabbed a knife. Arriving at the scene of the body, Erik took out his anger and tore into it with several harsh stabs. Throwing the knife aside, he grabbed the man's feet and dragged him into the boat. With a graceful leap, Erik landed back on the ground and went to retrieve a few things from his home and changed. Returning, he jumped back into the boat and pushed off, slowly disappearing into the darkness of the vaults.

When he returned to the Opera House, it was already quite late. He hoped Laurette wouldn't be too worried with him not greeting her. But upon entering her suite, he saw no sign of her. Erik made his way into the dining room and then the adjoining living room. But there was no sign of her still.

He paced. If Monsieur Garier had done anything….

"Oh!"

Startled, Erik looked up and saw Maria. Not paying attention, he almost collided with her. "I am sorry," said Erik swiftly. "Have you seen any sign of Laurette?"

"No," replied Maria with a look of worry, "I have not seen Madame Duprey since dinner."

Erik swore softly under his breath but then ducked his head apologetically to Maria. He made his way over to the balcony and stepped outside into the cool air. He looked out among the streets below but only saw still darkness. He thought about making his way up to the roof for a better look over the city.

"Please Monsieur," said Maria from behind him. "It is cold outside. Come in and I will get you some tea while you wait."

Erik shook his head. "No, please go to bed Maria. I will call you if I need anything."

She hesitated and Erik could not help but glare at her in preparation for her argument. Seeing his cold eyes, Maria stopped herself and simply nodded. After she had left, Erik began to pace once more on the balcony. His blood was boiling. He should have never let Laurette go out into the night. She could have faked a sudden sickness, claiming to be too ill to go leave after the performance. He should have suggested it to her. He heard the beat of horse feet and looked below only to see some stranger riding past the opera house.

Furious, he returned inside the living room. If she did not return soon he would have to go out and search for her. He would not be able to stop himself this time. Laurette was his. She belonged to him. The thought of Monsieur Garier tiring of the Duchess and turning his attentions to Laurette nearly drove him mad. The clock was now chiming two in the morning and Erik's anger consumed him. Just as he was about to leave the room to make his way out into the night, Erik heard what sounded like a carriage outside. He quickly went out onto the balcony and peered below in time to see Laurette getting out of a carriage. She lifted the hem of her dress and hurried up the opera house steps.

Erik immediately made his way to the hallway and then arrived at the grand staircase. He stopped as he saw Laurette look up at him and then she hurried up the stairs. Erik flew down the steps and caught her in his arms. He embraced her head protectively against his chest and she seemed to welcome his strong arms around her.

"I was growing concerned," he breathed heavily. He was actually going mad, but Erik did not want to make it sound any worse then he already felt. He expected a response, but she said nothing and only buried her head into his chest further. Something was wrong.

Erik pulled away and lifted her chin with his index finger. "What is it?"

She would not raise her eyes to him and continued to look down.

He tilted his head, his eyes almost threatening if she did not speak to him. "Laurette?" His voice was dangerously low and ill toned.

Her eyelashes finally fluttered up and she looked at him. Erik saw fear in her eyes. She slowly parted her lips almost reluctantly. "I…I've lost my voice," she said in a harsh rasp.

Erik's eyes widened and then narrowed as a realization came to him. "Did he make you sing after tonight's performance?" he demanded. "No," he said harshly to her and raised a finger to her lips, "Do not speak. Do not strain your voice further. Yes or no?"

She nodded and Erik swore viciously. "Why should that surprise me? Leave it to a man such as him not to understand that a voice is already naturally tired after such a performance. He cares nothing for the beauty of such a voice, only to use it as he pleases!" Erik looked at her coldly.

She looked down, obviously upset.

He sighed and composed himself. "Come with me," he said softly. Erik's arm cradled around her shoulders, his other hand holding hers, he led her slowly up the steps.

Once in her suite, Erik took off her cloak and hung it up. He then turned her around and loosened the ties of the dress. Carefully, Erik lifted it over her head and placed it over a nearby chair where Maria would see it later. He undid the crinoline and held her steady as she stepped out of it. His eyes swept over the corset and lace underwear but he dared not meet her gaze as he knew his eyes had a look full of hunger. Instead, Erik concentrated on his task and undid the corset, grateful that this one untied in the back so he did not have the opportunity to glance at her breasts. With her back still to him, Erik retrieved her warm white cotton nightgown and placed it over her head. He led her to the bed and sat her down.

"Does your throat hurt?"

Laurette shook her head and Erik poured a cup of tea that Maria had left in the room.

"What about when you swallow?"

She shrugged and then shook her head.

"Drink this, it will help," Erik said handing her the tea.

Laurette sipped the tea and then her face twisted with pain when she swallowed.

"So, your throat does not hurt eh?" Erik could not help somewhat smile.

She glared back at him and opened her mouth to speak.

"No!" Erik placed his finger on her mouth once more. "I did not say you could speak Laurette."

She closed her mouth and frowned at him.

"Finish drinking the tea," he ordered firmly.

Laurette hesitated but did as he asked. Her eyes were very small and her face was pale. He knew she needed to be placed into bed immediately. He would be sure to call Dr. Charette first thing tomorrow.

She finished the tea and Erik took it from her. He then quietly sat down on the bed next to her. "Well," he said with a glint of teasing in his voice, "at least you cannot argue with me."

Her eyes narrowed back at him. Then she caught him off guard and moved close. His body grew tense and he instinctively had the urge to push her down onto the bed in a position which would best suit him. But Erik pulled away, concerned with her health.

"Laurette…" Erik breathed. She placed her finger this time on his lips, her eyes now wide open and piercing his heart. She moved closer and he caught the scent of her hair. Her lips were full and inviting.

He tried to move away, tried to shake his head. But as Laurette's lips brushed his, Erik could not help himself and cradled her to him. His mouth claimed hers and Erik knew once more he was lost.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Good to see you again Erik."

Erik gave the doctor a nod as he handed Maria his hat and gloves. He had made sure Maria contacted him as soon as possible. Erik accepted Dr. Charrette's handshake and led him to Laurette's room.

"I read that Madame Duprey's performance was quite outstanding," said Dr. Charette as Erik walked along the hallway. "Mary still keeps in contact with some of the women from our earlier opera days. She hears of nothing else but Madame Duprey in all the gossip."

Erik looked at him. "And what else do they say?" He normally wouldn't pay any attention to the discussions of women, but he was suddenly curios in regards to anything with Laurette.

The doctor laughed. "Most of it has to do with what she is wearing. The women truly seem to resent her when it comes to her popularity but are easily swayed when following in her footsteps with the latest fashions."

Fashionable? Laurette? Erik held back a smile.

"So, what are her symptoms aside from not having a voice?"

"None really," answered Erik. "She does not seem to have a fever and I have not seen any chills. It is most likely just laryngitis as Monsieur Garier made her abuse her vocal chords."

"Yes, you are most likely right," said Dr. Charette stopping in front of Laurette's suite. "However, it is a good thing you called me. It is important for me to check on her and make sure. We don't want to take any chances with how ill she is."

Erik stopped before opening the door. "How ill she _still_ is?"

"Patients rarely fully recover from such a serious illness," said the doctor quietly. "I doubt her full strength will ever return. But I have little doubt Laurette's strong mind will carry her forward," he added seeing Erik's worried eyes.

Erik nodded and opened the door. As they entered Laurette's bedroom, he had to hold back a laugh as Laurette was sitting up in bed, her arms crossed, pouting like a small child.

"I do not see why you had to come," whispered Laurette hoarsely.

"Hush," said Erik rather sharply. He glanced sheepishly at the doctor who was looking at him in surprise for scolding her so quickly.

The doctor laughed. "I see you are in good company when it comes to making sure you take care of your health Madame Duprey."

"Laurette," she whispered.

"Very well, Laurette," said Doctor Charette quickly before Erik could silence her again. "Now let's see what is going on, shall we?"

He sat down on Laurette's bed and retrieved his stethoscope. Erik's eyes looked away as the doctor placed it inside her neckline and listened intently.

"Good," said the doctor as he moved the stethoscope on her chest. "No fluid in the lungs. Breathe deeper for me, yes, that's it. Your lungs sound very good." He moved on to examine her neck and throat with his fingers, probing as she flinched in some pain. Erik made a fist as she winced again when the doctor examined the inside of her throat as he peered inside her mouth.

Satisfied, the doctor moved away and smiled. "Everything looks very good. There is some minimal swelling inside your throat, but nothing too bad. My main concern is the swelling of your lymph nodes on your neck. That could be a sign of return illness and you are still quite weak." He closed his bag and stood up.

"So, you will not talk for at least the rest of today. You are to stay in bed today and tomorrow – no, do not give me that look Laurette," the doctor said firmly to her as she scowled, "I trust Erik and Maria to make sure you follow my orders. Otherwise, I'll be sure to limit you to bed rest for the remainder of the week."

Laurette opened her mouth to speak.

"No!" both the doctor and Erik commanded to her in unison.

Exasperated, Laurette flopped back onto the pillows. Erik smiled and reached out to squeeze her hand. She snatched it from him and looked away.

Doctor Charette laughed. "She is a terrible patient. There were more then a few times I thought I was going to wake up with a knife in my back with the threatening looks she kept giving me."

Maria bustled in and set a large tray of breakfast in front of Laurette. "Eat," she said sternly to Laurette. Erik almost felt sorry for her as she looked at the food in a very tired way. Maria was going to bake every food known to man in an effort to get her to eat.

"I'll walk you out," said Erik. Maria handed the doctor his hat and gloves. Erik led him out of Laurette's suite.

"Watch her closely Erik," said the doctor as they walked down the hall. "Remember what I said, most patients rarely fully recover. Even when she does return to the stage, she needs plenty of rest when she can. It will be easy for her to relapse."

Erik nodded as they reached the grand staircase in the open. It was still early and no one came around on a Sunday. He looked at the doctor. "By the way, how much do I owe you?"

"Owe me?"

"For your services," said Erik.

Doctor Charette smiled. "Thank you for asking; however my wife and I stopped collecting for my treatment years ago. I made quite a fortune and now I am repaying my debt back to society."

Erik admired this. The doctor was indeed a very kind man and he trusted no one else with care for Laurette. "Thank you," Erik said.

"You are more then welcome," said the doctor smiling. His smiled disappeared as he saw Maria running up with a note folded in her hands in which she handed to him. He opened it and frowned. "Thank you Maria." She curtsied and left.

"Is everything alright?"

"I am sure it is," said Dr. Charette putting on his gloves. "Just a nervous soon-to be-father calling me for the tenth time. I can see the sun so I am sure it is not time yet."

Erik smiled.

"But if I do not go, she'll have the child for sure. So I might as well pay them a visit and assure them that all is just fine." He put on his hat and grinned at Erik. "I better stop by the house to make sure and re-stock on pain medications in preparation for the birth. The father will need quite a bit."

Erik laughed and bade the doctor farewell. He went back to Laurette's room and found her bickering silently with Maria.

"Then try this," said Maria holding out some strawberries. Laurette made a face and pushed the fork away.

"Leave the food here Maria," said Erik. "I'll try to make sure she eats something," he said looking sternly at Laurette. She rolled her eyes in response but said nothing.

Maria scoffed a bit but then stood up. "I'll be back to serve a snack and then lunch."

Erik shook his head in amusement as he watched her trump off. He looked back at Laurette. "Well, what would you like to do? Do you want to sleep or do you want to sleep?"

She glared at him and he laughed. Erik could not remember a time when he had laughed aloud as he had these past few months when he was with Laurette. She brought joy to his heart and he truly felt alive with her. He especially loved to tease her.

Erik's thoughts turned to last night and he could picture her beneath him as he claimed her once again for himself. He slightly trembled with the memory of her body writhing and wanting more.

"I think I will go to the Music Room for a while," he said in a rather low voice. He had to get away from her before he was tempted beyond reason. She frowned but he ignored her and left.

Working on the score to Don Carlos soothed him a bit. There were a few changes he had thought of from last night's performance and he worked on it for a few hours. When Maria brought him lunch he realized he had probably spent far too much time away from Laurette. He ate quickly and returned to her room with the score, anxious to show her a few ideas.

But when he entered her bedroom, Erik saw she was asleep, the lunch tray Maria had brought her was completely untouched. He shook his head and pulled up the blanket over her. Erik sat down at a nearby small desk and began to work more on the music.

By late afternoon Laurette had woken and was soon reading a book. Erik had already shared a few of his musical thoughts with her and she seemed to agree with them even though she most likely still wanted to argue about a few things. But she was too tired and she settled back into the bed reading her book.

Erik had just finished adding a section and he looked up at her. She seemed fairly engrossed with the story. He straightened in his chair. "What exactly are you reading?" he asked curiously. This was the book he had wanted to see twice before.

She looked up and smiled at him. He knew she was already teasing him as he said she was not allowed to speak.

"Show me the cover."

"Why?" she mouthed.

"I was just curios."

She continued to smile.

"Fine," Erik said feeling almost annoyed at her. He looked back down at the music. He heard a soft patting sound and looked back up to see Laurette motioning for him to come near. Sighing, he got up and went over to her bed. Sitting down near her was most likely another mistake, as he fought once more with some rather lustful thoughts as he watched her in bed.

Laurette handed him the book. Careful so not to lose her place, Erik took the book with his hand holding open the pages she was reading. He turned the book over to read the title:

"Bel-Ami"

by

Guy de Maupassant

Erik laughed slightly. He had heard of the book but had never read it. But it fit perfectly as the book, although unclear to some, stated that society is the reason for all of life's sorrows and misfortunes. He glanced over the summary with some interest and read that the character Georges Duroy is the main face and representative of the society. He changes women like gloves by using his attraction skills. He begins to get what he needs for his status in society by befriending Madeleine Forestier and then he marries her. While he only likes her, it is gainful for him with her place in society. He then makes Clotilde Marelle fall in love with him because of her popularity. At the same time he is a lover of Mme Walter (she's a wife of a director of the best in Paris newspaper). Then he gets divorced from Madeleine Forestier and marries the young daughter of Mme Walter to fortify his power in the society.

Erik chuckled as this was the perfect description of Monsieur Garier. No doubt he would see Georges Duroy as a great man and study his methods with great care. Or perhaps he already had done this but he couldn't see Monsieur Garier consenting to marriage. While the man in this novel got away with quite a few love affairs, Erik doubted Monsieur Garier would be as lucky. It was easier to remain unattached and simply toss one aside for another.

"And you enjoy reading about such a man?"

She remained smiling.

"It may not be so humorous if Monsieur Garier knew what it really meant."

She pursed her lips together for a moment and shook her head.

"Why are you reading it?"

She rolled her eyes at him, exasperated that he was asking her a question when she could not speak.

Erik smiled, pleased that she was following the doctor's rules and that for once, he was annoying her. He retrieved a pen and a piece of paper from the desk. She took them from him and happily wrote down a message. He tilted his head and read it.

_Perhaps I am reading it to learn of a weakness in him._

Erik laughed slightly. "I don't think you have to read that to already know his weaknesses."

_But it is the one main weakness he has that can be so easily used against him._

"Women?"

She nodded.

"Women are the weakness of all men."

_Women are the strength of men you mean. Those who do not recognize it are weak._

Erik chuckled. "I clearly recognize that," he said looking at her intently. He was having quite the urge to kiss her pouting lips.

_How can you do that?_

Erik blinked. "Do what?"

_Make changes to the score without playing it on the piano._

Erik shrugged. "I always hear the music. It is in my head before I even write it down. I don't need to play it aloud."

She shook her head in disgust. _I wish I had such talent._

"You do have talent Laurette," he said softly. "We may have different skills in our music ability but do not mistake your talent. I think you are the most talented woman I have ever known."

She blushed slightly and looked down. He grinned and took her hand in his. "I know now that there is someone else for me. Why God granted me with such a gift as you is beyond me." He bent down and kissed her.

Immediately he realized this was a mistake. He wanted her. Every nerve in his body was alive and becoming hungry for more. Her mouth was driving him mad and he tried to get control of himself.

She pulled away and looked at him. He was desperately trying to catch his breath while she bent down and wrote.

_Why do you hold back from me?_

His laugh was now husky. "Laurette, I really should let you sleep more."

She shook her head and her arms encircled around his neck. He resisted but then allowed her to pull him down on top of her. The familiar ache was beginning to rise in him again and his body began to actually hurt, begging him for release. He kissed her neck and reveled in how soft she was. His fingers were automatically sliding down the length of her body, then up inside her gown. He kissed her lips once more, amazed at how sweet tasting it was. His hands found her breasts and Erik breathed restlessly as he caressed her.

The pressure building within him, Erik could not stand it anymore. She was killing him and he threw aside all thoughts about her health. He pushed her night dress up and lowered his head to her breasts. He heard her sharp intake of breath as he kissed and nuzzled her.

Erik heard the clock chiming and realized it was nearing the time Maria made dinner. He knew she could come in at any moment but he had made his decision. Erik threw off his jacket with the rest of his clothes soon following. The nightdress bunched up now irritated him and he pulled it over her head. He lay over her, his body pinning hers against the bed and he took what was his. Erik could not get enough of her it seemed. Yet he patiently waited until he was certain she reached her own release. Feeling her familiar tremble, Erik quickened his pace and sated his hunger. He caught his breath in satisfaction and bent down to kiss her.

"Madame? I thought you might like to try this!"

In an instant Erik rolled off the bed onto the floor opposite from the door.

"This is very good soup I think you will like," Maria rambled on as she entered the room. "What are you doing without your night dress on?"

"I was hot," Erik heard Laurette whisper. He bit his lip in an effort to keep himself from scolding her out loud for speaking. He remained silent and hidden underneath the bed.

"You should not talk! Where is the Maestro?"

He heard scribbling and realized Laurette was writing. "I don't know why he insists on still going down there. He should just make his home up here. Well, if you do see him tell him, no, _write_ to him that his dinner is ready and waiting."

Erik heard her footsteps fade away and the door shut. Wearily, he came out and she giggled at him. "Not a sound Laurette," Erik said. But he could not help himself and laughed.

The week seemed to go far too quickly. Rehearsals went fairly well as Laurette was anxious to revisit a number of scenes in La Muette de Portici and the Company happily followed her every direction. Erik still made little comment, not wanting to object to her in front of the cast, but he did make suggestions and was pleased that she seemed to like some of the changes he had made. Erik was especially proud of Nicole who had revised the entire dance scene in the last song of the first production. Laurette was impressed.

"I did not think Armond and Dion would ever be talked into learning how to dance, especially in ballet," said Laurette as Nicole beamed with Erik nodding his head.

"Well, I only convinced them that they are not really doing ballet. Most of the moves as you saw have quite a bit of lifting of the dancers in the air. So I told them it was necessary to portray the strength of the men in such a scene and they would be perfect for it."

Laurette shook her head smiling.

"You did extremely well Nicole," said Erik. "You have quite the talent in choreography."

"Thank you," said Nicole blushing.

Amused, Erik watched her as she turned and practically bounced with excitement back to the other dancers to tell them about their success.

Laurette turned her attention to some of the chorus in the first act and directed Gautier to gather the cast into their places. Laurette walked down the aisle and up to the stage. She carefully placed some of the cast in a few different areas and shook her head smiling as Justine playfully shoved Andre onto his spot.

Her smile made a familiar ache begin again which greatly agitated him. Now that he had the physical experience with Laurette, he found it hard to focus his mind entirely on other things.

Erik felt extremely guilty as he watched Laurette rub the back of her neck looking quite tired. His hunger was insatiable it seemed. It was as if his body was demanding him to make up for lost time. Their intimate moments were waking Laurette up two, even three times a night. Not that she was helping. In fact he was still quite taken aback with her direct affection with him. She seemed to want him physically as much as he wanted her. He continued to wonder about her past life and if Monsieur Rosseau was her first love. Someone had to be as Laurette was certainly not an innocent girl. Although they had done little variation in how they were intimate, Laurette seemed quite experienced to him. Perhaps there were other things she could show him…

He shook his head, once again trying to get the images lustful thoughts out of his mind to concentrate on rehearsal. Laurette looked at him with a smile and he nodded in acknowledgement that he was pleased with something in which he had no idea what it was she had just changed. He suddenly felt a tap on his arm and turned to find Maria.

"I am so sorry for interrupting. Dr. Charette is in the library. He would like to talk with you first before he sees Madame."

Erik thanked her and walked up the aisle. Assured that the all was secure by those who guarded the doors, he carefully left the theater and made his way to the library.

"Good afternoon Doctor," said Erik pleasantly as he entered the room. Doctor Charette had been studying some of the books on the shelves. He turned and smiled at Erik.

"You have quite a collection of books here."

Erik shrugged. "Most of them are from years ago before the war. It was fortunate that they were not burned."

"Yes, I see a few that are quite treasures," said Doctor Charette eyeing a shelf.

"You are more then welcome to borrow any you like. I've already read all of them."

"All of them?" He looked around the library at the hundreds of books lining the shelves from floor to ceiling.

Erik tilted his head. "There is little else to do when one is not accepted in society," he said quietly.

"Oh…yes." The Doctor straightened slightly. "Well, how is Laurette? Has she gotten enough rest this week?"

Erik hesitated, once again feeling quite guilty for not resisting his physical need.

"She _did _stay in bed those two days, yes?" the Doctor asked with a look of concern.

"Well, yes…" This wasn't a lie as he certainly knew Laurette did not leave the bed. But guilt was still eating away at him and he could not look at Doctor Charette.

The Doctor studied Erik for a moment in silence. Then Erik glanced up to see his eyes widen as he suddenly laughed. He walked past Erik giving him a pat on the shoulder.

"It's alright Erik," said the doctor chuckling as he walked over to his bag on a nearby table. "The two of you haven't seen each other for quite a while. It's understandable that the two of you would want some, well, time together once in a great while."

Erik's eyes wandered down to the floor.

"Ok, well maybe a few more times then that," said Doctor Charette smiling. When Erik did not respond once again, he tilted his head. "Or even more? Erik, is she getting much sleep?"

Erik sighed. The Doctor most likely thought they were intimately together for months and this was something he could control. He certainly hoped he would have more control in the future. At the moment Erik didn't seem to think he could ever get enough of her.

"I will make sure she gets enough rest the remainder of this week," said Erik quietly.

Doctor Charette shook his head and then smiled. "I can only wish to be ten years younger. Although it still seems like only a short time ago Mary and I found each other."

"How long have you been married?" asked Erik curiously.

"In about three weeks, we will be celebrating our 30th year anniversary."

Erik smiled. "And what will you do to celebrate?"

Doctor Charette grinned. "Oh I am sure I can think of a few things. I'm not dead yet, you know." But then he sighed. "Actually, I think she would have really liked to come to the Opera for an evening out. But as we are no longer welcome it is impossible to get seats. There is certainly no way that Monsieur Garier would give into such a thing."

"I will get them for you," said Erik.

"How? You wouldn't steal them from anyone would you?" asked the Doctor eyeing Erik suspiciously once more.

Erik laughed. "No. The tickets are made in the office here within the Opera House. As the theater sits more then a few thousand, there is no way Monsieur Garier can keep track of all of them. A few tickets missing would not even catch his attention. And I do not consider that stealing as Laurette and I more then deserve to give tickets to whomever we choose. This Opera House may be owned by a tyrant, but we are the keepers."

"I suppose that is true, isn't it?"

"Come by the week before your anniversary and I will have them for you," said Erik. The Doctor hesitated. "Please. Allow me to do this so I can provide something in return for all you have done."

Doctor Charette frowned. "Well, Mary really would be pleased if I took her. It would bring back so many memories for us."

"Then take them as a gift."

"Alright. Thank you Erik. I will stop by in a few weeks."

Laurette suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"There you are!" exclaimed Doctor Charette. "Come here so I can take a look at you."

Reluctantly Laurette came forward. Erik laughed slightly when she glared at him as he had not warned her that the Doctor was here.

"Good, good," said the Doctor as he probed her lower jaw and neck. "No pain now?"

"No."

"Well, you seem to be still doing well. Although you do look tired." Doctor Charette purposely glanced at Erik who in turn he looked away with guilt, vowing to make sure Laurette got more rest.

"You will visit me next week, won't you?" asked Laurette. Erik felt tense at the thought of her returning to Monsieur Garier's estate.

"Every chance I can. Do you know when he will be allowing you to return?"

Laurette sighed. "No," she said quietly. She nervously glanced at Erik knowing this would make him upset.

"Well, I assure you, I will be watching," said the Doctor.

"Uncle!"

Erik turned his head and saw Andre in the doorway. Doctor Charette walked over and embraced him.

"I haven't seen you in a while. I heard you were here."

"Yes, I am sorry Andre. With me gone all last week I've been very busy catching up on patients this week. Why don't you come by this evening for dinner with Mary?"

"And you?"

The Doctor frowned. "Unfortunately I have a few patients I must attend to."

"You work too hard Uncle."

"Yes, that's what Mary says. Stop by our home tonight and give her some company, will you?"

Andre nodded and Doctor Charette patted him on the shoulder. They said their goodbyes and Maria quickly appeared once they were gone.

"Dinner is ready," she said smiling with a curtsey.

"Maria, would you stop bowing to me?" Erik sharply asked feeling annoyed. He composed himself then and smiled at Laurette. "She has to abide by my rules and not do anything society would expect."

Maria frowned. "Giving a bow is a complete sign of respect from a servant. In fact, it is so much of a habit, I doubt that will be one rule I can follow Monsieur."

"Then you are not being a very good servant to me are you?" he teased.

"Erik!" Laurette looked at him. "Stop that."

"No. As you know Laurette, servants are not by any means beneath us. She is not just some servant; she is a part of the Company."

Laurette's face turned crimson. Erik realized she was thinking that he had overheard her telling Bernadette that she was a lowly servant.

"Not that certain servants don't deserve such a thing," said Erik trying to soothe her.

"Well I certainly do not think you are beneath us Maria," said Laurette.

Maria shook her head. "This is a ridiculous conversation. I am a servant to your household and you are both above me. You pay me for heaven's sake! It is the way things are and the way I like it. I take great pride in my service."

"That doesn't mean you have to be treated beneath us," said Erik smiling. He knew he was infuriating her.

"Oh whatever! Your dinner is ready." She then purposefully curtsied and smiled at Erik. "You did _not_ say I could not bow to Madame." She turned on her heel and quickly left with Laurette laughing at Erik's frown.

After dinner, Laurette and Erik spent some time in the Music Room. He finally convinced her to return to her suite as she needed to rest. But he knew once she was finished changing into her nightgown he would not stay. He firmly believed that it was the only way for her to sleep a full night.

As he was looking over a sheet of music, Laurette emerged and Erik swallowed hard. She was wearing a silk night dress he had not seen before. It generously flowed over the curves of her body which began Erik's familiar ache. He turned away from her.

"Why aren't you getting undressed? I thought you wanted us to come back here to sleep," she said coming up next to him.

Erik's eyes avoided her, his body still turned away from hers. He stared at the music. "We do not _sleep_, Laurette. I am going back to the Music Room for the night."

"Why? Have I done something to upset you?"

Erik had to hold back from scoffing at her. "I would rather think you affect me in other ways."

"What other ways?"

He knew she was smiling without even looking at her.

"It is best for me to leave tonight."

"Do you really want to spend time away from me?" asked Laurette quietly.

"I assure you that I feel quite the opposite." Erik glanced at her and quickly looked away.

"Why won't you look at me then?"

Erik's jaw clenched and he was practically crumpling the sheet of music in his hand. "For one thing, it is hard for me to look at you when you are wearing that." His voice was strained.

"But I wore it for you."

Erik could not help himself. He slowly turned and looked at her, his eyes gazing over her body. He took a step back. "Laurette," he said in a low voice, "You must get some sleep."

She stepped forward and he grew tense. "I will have more then enough opportunity to sleep next week when I am away. I only have this week to spend with you. Let me be the judge of what I need. And right now what I need is for you to stay."

Her arms circled around his neck and she stood tiptoe and kissed him. Hunger beat at him. Erik cursed himself in his mind as he dropped the music and his fingers went to the silk sleeves of the night dress, pushing it down her shoulders and allowing it to fall to the floor. He once again lost his battle of control as he fell hard into such sweet temptation.

He hated himself.

The next morning Erik sat at breakfast in quite a dark mood. Not only had he given into Laurette last night, but he also allowed himself to sleep with her, which of course, did not end up as sleeping. It was now the end of the week and she had not gotten one full night of sleep.

He watched as Maria began to leave the room to check on Laurette. "No Maria." She stopped and looked at him. "Please. Do not check on her this morning. I do not want anything to possibly wake her. Let her sleep."

Much to his irritation, she bowed and went back into the kitchen.

Erik picked up the newspaper and stared. There it was. The serial killer had struck again. They identified the dead man as Monsieur Louis Prouix. Erik knew nothing of the man and only vaguely remembered a quick introduction at the ball with Laurette. The article stated that Monsieur Prouix was in the banking business and it appeared he had been on the road to much success in his career. Erik thought of Monsieur Leduc for a moment who owned a bank. Had this been a competitor or disloyal employee? But why then would he go down below the Opera House?

Erik closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the man's words, swearing that he was being killed by a demon of some sort. He was in fact a demon. He was pretending in this wonderful dream with Laurette that he was not.

"Erik?"

He opened his eyes and saw Laurette standing before him. He stood up and helped her sit down. "I thought you would be sleeping longer," he said as he sat back down.

"I woke up and you weren't there again. I hate that."

"You know I am not far. Where would I possibly go?"

"That is not the point," she said with a frown. "It would be nice to wake up with you beside me, holding me."

Erik knew that each morning it was hard enough not to wake her with his terrible physical needs. But he nodded. "I am sorry."

She looked back at her plate. Her expression was very sad.

"Laurette," he said gently, "What is wrong?"

"I only have two days left," she replied softly.

Erik's heart turned over in pain. The thought of Laurette leaving was too much to bear. He ignored his feelings and tried to make her feel better. "We still have today and tomorrow," he said reaching out and holding her hand. "Not to mention tonight," he added. He already knew there was no way he could be apart from her on their last night.

She gave him a shy smile at his comment and gently squeezed his hand.

"What if we cancel rehearsal today?" asked Erik suddenly. The only full day we were able to spend together alone was when you were without a voice."

She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. "And just what would we do?"

Erik completely ignored his first response which was images of her in bed with him. "You haven't really ever seen all of the Opera House have you?"

"No, not really."

"Why don't I show you around? The Opera House is enormous. There are many different rooms with so many interesting things."

He seemed to have lifted her spirit slightly and her eyes grew brighter. "Alright," she said nodding. And much to his delight she took a pastry and began to eat.

The Company was more then pleased that they suddenly had a day off. Normally they would complain, worried about an upcoming performance. But they were all feeling fairly confident in the three productions. Not that they still didn't have some work to do, but overall, things had been going well.

Erik showed Laurette his world, at least above the dark depths. He found they had a number of common interests in the artwork he showed her including statues carved from known artists. The Opera House was so ornate in detail and artistic expression in every room. It was the first time Laurette had not paid any attention to music and actually took a look around. Her smile seemed to last the entire day.

As evening descended, Erik took her up to the roof. The air was cool and crisp. It was a beautiful night with the stars and moon shining above the lights of Paris. He stood behind her, holding her as they both took in the beauty of such a quiet night.

"I have never seen anything so beautiful," she said with a tone of awe in her voice.

"Of all the places within the Opera House, this is by far my favorite," admitted Erik. "It is a very peaceful place for me. I've come here many times when my spirits were down. It has never failed to always give me a sense of satisfaction, that the world does have some good in it."

She squeezed his arms holding her in response. "That has not been an easy path for me as well, thinking about more of the negatives then how good people can be. The Company gives me much comfort. You give me much comfort. I wish I could be here every night with you."

Erik wanted to hold her here forever but he knew her mind was decided on what she felt was right in her career to keep a hold onto her part with the Company. "You can be with me every night Laurette," he whispered into her ear. She stiffened thinking he was going to suggest once again that she should stay. But Erik took away one of his hands from the embrace and pointed to the sky. "Every night I will look at the moon, the stars, even the clouds and I will know you are doing the same. It can be our way of knowing we are thinking of each other."

She turned around and hugged him tightly, burying her head into his chest. Erik had his cloak on and he closed it around her body to warm her. He lifted her chin up and kissed her softly. She was holding back her tears and he kissed her eyes. His lips met hers again and they relaxed into the passion for each other. After looking at the sky one last time, Erik took Laurette back down to her suite for one last night with her in bed.

All too soon it was the next day and Laurette was tense. She had planned to spend the remainder of the day with the Company and Erik. But Monsieur Garier had other plans. As they had rotated to one of the other performances, Laurette was free to travel with him to a social engagement he insisted upon. Much to Erik's relief, the Duchess was also going with them.

As the carriage waited outside and Maria disappeared carrying bags she had packed for Laurette, Erik held her inside the Music Room. They said nothing and he caressed her hair, gently stroking it with his fingers.

There was a knock at the door. "Madame? It is time," called Maria.

Laurette looked up at him and he thought for a moment if he could drown in her eyes, this would be it. It was the first time he realized that someone was looking at him with complete love in their eyes. And after a final tearful kiss, she was once again gone.

Over the next week, Erik's emptiness consumed him. He madly worked on anything he could during the day to get his mind off of her. While he was still kind to the Company, he continually sought more and more improvement. But at night, he was alone, very alone. Sleep evaded him and he could not run from his thoughts of Laurette. Each night he went out onto the rooftop, carrying out his promise that he would always look into the sky so they would be thinking of each other under the same stars. He concentrated on the moon. If he could just hear her voice, even in his mind. But silence was all he found.

He began to withdraw and isolate himself. While he would usually be more talkative with the Company, he kept to himself, always acting busy. The same was with Maria. Erik felt if anyone truly looked into his eyes, they would see the pain he was feeling with Laurette gone. He no longer had interest or curiosity in others around him. He knew Maria was concerned as he no longer talked or smiled at her. But to her credit, she kept any thoughts to herself.

By the third week Erik knew he was going mad. There had been no letters from her. It was as if she were only a dream now. What if he had been dreaming? Was this still real? But he knew it was because of his pain. He had known this torment before. Christine had mangled him to the point of rage and coldness. He did not want the same to happen again with him missing Laurette so terribly.

For the first time in quite a while, Erik ventured out into the night. The city was still awake despite the darkness and he crept carefully along the alleys. He walked forever it seemed, hoping the exhaustion would eventually get to him so he could finally rest and escape his thoughts. But he dreaded the moment of awakening as his heart tightened in pain each morning.

He found himself standing in the shadows near a place that he could hear was full of laughter and commotion. A closer look showed a number of women, standing, waiting to be selected by the men who so closely scrutinized them before any payment was made. Erik's physical ache was so bad he seethed in jealousy of men enjoying any such pleasure. Yet he had no desire to sate himself with any other woman. He laughed at himself bitterly as he knew there was no woman who would do such a thing anyway, even a hungry prostitute. Only the drunken woman that one night when he saved Philippe had ever shown such interest. And any interest only brought more pain as they would question what hideous flesh was beneath the mask.

Erik turned; ready to walk back to the Opera House. But then he saw a man come before a very young looking girl and struck her quite hard. The man held her chin up close to his face as he spat words at her and then released her roughly. It reminded Erik of how Monsieur Garier treated Laurette and his fists clenched as he watched the man storm away from her.

Then he saw the girl looking right at him. Realizing he had been staring as he stood on the edge of the shadows, Erik stepped back into the darkness. She looked nervously around and then came forward. He suddenly realized she was walking directly to him. His back went flat against a wall behind him as he continued to try and step back. The girl walked right up to him and Erik saw she indeed was very young. She was slightly taller then Laurette but very small. Her brown hair was down freely and it fell well below her shoulders. It was fairly straight with ripples of waves.

Erik held his breath for a moment and the girl reached out to take his hand. She began to pull him lightly away from the wall. She said nothing, simply looking into his eyes while she walked slowly. Before he knew it, Erik was inside a small room with a bed. She took his cloak and neatly hung it up. His heart was pounding. What was he doing here? Why wasn't she questioning his mask? She was similar to Laurette in this way also with no questions or fear. She walked up to him and placed her small hands on his chest.

"What do you like, Mons-,"

Erik held a finger to her lips before she could finish. Realizing this was an intimate act, he withdrew his hand and nervously looked at her. He sighed.

"Silence is what I would like," he said quietly. Then he took a breath and embraced the girl, cradling her head against his chest. He felt her stiffen, most likely not used to a man holding her in such a way. But after a while she began to relax and her body softened against his. Erik's fingers found her soft hair, stroking it slowly. It almost felt like Laurette's hair.

And then she _was_ Laurette. He felt her, needed her. Her hands were caressing the inside of his shirt and he softly kissed her forehead. He could feel his breathing deepening and his lips brushed the side of her face. She tilted her head and he bent down caressing her neck with velvet kisses, savoring the warm soft feeling of her skin.

His fingers found the buttons to her blouse and he carefully removed it while still caressing her neck with his mouth. She had no corset or any other undergarment and he touched her breasts. His body was tight, aching for release. He gently pushed her down onto the bed and lying on top of her, his mouth descended from her neck to her breasts. She was so soft, warm, and beautiful. He had missed her so badly. He needed her to be one with him.

Beneath him, the girl moaned softly and Erik suddenly stopped. Her voice brought his mind back to the reality that this was not Laurette. He hesitated despite his aching need with the thought of where he was and that he was betraying her.

"I guess you've changed your mind," whispered the girl. She was looking at him, still breathing hard from his caresses.

Erik said nothing and looked away.

"I understand," she said softly as she attempted to cover herself. "But Monsieur, would you…would you do something for me?"

Erik looked at the girl. Her eyes almost had a pleading expression.

"Would you…kiss me? Just…once?"

Erik sharply looked away again. He could not bring himself to kiss any woman on the lips in such a way other then Laurette.

The girl muffled a small sob and quickly began to sit up. But Erik put out his hand on her shoulder and stopped her. The girl winced where his hand touched. For the first time, Erik noticed the girl's bruises. He had been so taken with his mind on her being Laurette, he did not even see the black and blue marks that covered her neck and shoulders. He sharply inhaled and looked at her.

She was silently crying now, tears spilling down her cheeks. It now occurred to Erik that this poor girl had never been treated in a gentle way with any man. She was simply used and brutalized at the pleasure of those who purchased her for their own satisfaction. His gentle embrace and kisses had most likely given her a new feeling of what physical intimacy could be.

Erik felt terrible for the girl. She was most likely as lonely as he was. Worse, she had never known love. He felt the compulsion to do something for her. Erik bent down and softly kissed the tears on her cheeks. He felt her begin to relax and he moved his head down to her neck once more. Her breathing became deeper and she once again was feeling the new sensation of what pleasure could be in a touch.

But Erik could not bring himself now to complete the act. He loved Laurette and only wanted her. What could he do for this poor girl? He wanted to comfort her somehow and ease her pain. He wanted to show her what lovemaking should be.

Still kissing her neck, his fingers slowly moved from her breasts downward and underneath the skirt she wore. Her breathing became much heavier and so he let his fingers caress her inner thighs. She was practically straining against him, desperate for some type of release. Becoming more aroused, Erik began to kiss her neck quite passionately. His fingers moved and explored the most intimate core of a woman. He had never done this with Laurette as there seemed to be no need. But this new exploration excited him and he stroked her gently in unison to her movement.

She suddenly cried out and Erik moved his hand up to hold her. Shaking, she cried softly against his chest and he stroked her back tenderly. His body was still aching but he ignored it. He was glad that he was able to do something for this girl. After she had quieted, Erik slowly released her, his eyes looking at her for a moment.

"Not many men would resist and do what you did," she said softly. "You must love her very much."

Erik's chest tightened at the realization of her comment and he abruptly sat up. Before he could leave the bed, her hand firmly clamped over his arm and held him.

"Please, Monsieur. I do not know what has happened. But I can see that you miss her very much. I can see you feel alone."

Erik's head was turned away and he clenched his jaw. His need for Laurette was horrible; he could not live without her. His emotions came all at once. He felt pain from the loneliness, the abandonment of Christine, fear of the future, his anger at Monsieur Garier. He badly needed Laurette's reassurance of love and her touch.

The girl rose up on her knees and embraced him. Her arms wrapped around his head and Erik turned his head to bury himself within the girl's hair. She continued to hold him as he wept. He could no longer hold back his tears and this reaching out of comfort broke him of all his will to contain himself.

"It is alright," the girl whispered. Her voice was trembling and Erik knew she was now crying. "Sometimes it just helps to be with someone. You helped me." She now in turn was stroking his hair and gently kissing his head.

Erik finally regained control but she did not release him from her embrace. "Do not go yet," she said softly, sensing he was now relaxing. "Lay down with me for a while and let me hold you."

Erik reluctantly let her pull him down into her arms, cradling him now against her chest. He was so tired, so drained. He could hear her heartbeat beneath his head and it gave him a feeling of peace. He closed his eyes.

When he opened them, it was dark. The candles the girl had lit earlier had gone out. They had both fallen asleep and it was well past midnight. He ever so carefully released himself from the girl's arms. She settled herself into the pillows with a sigh. Erik rose and dressed quietly, not wanting to wake her.

He retrieved his cloak and walked over to her nightstand. Reaching into his inside coat pocket, he took out some of his money. Then he looked at the girl, peacefully sleeping in the bed. He took out the remainder of the money he had and placed all of it on her nightstand, knowing full well it was more then she most likely ever had in her life. He hoped it would be enough for her to start a new one.

He stepped out into the cold air, the wind blowing his cape. While he still ached for Laurette, Erik strangely felt at peace. He had showed kindness to someone in need, someone like him that was lost in this world. She in turn asked no questions and allowed him to release the emotions that had overtaken him these last few weeks. He almost now felt a sense of relief, like he could at least breathe for the first time.

Erik heard footsteps behind him. He stopped, not turning his head, and then he heard the footsteps stop as well. Very slowly he turned around to see a man a short distance away with eyes that were staring coldly at him with a mocking smile.

"So you heard me. Not many do. I have a knack for silent movement."

Erik straightened to his full height and studied the dark haired man for a moment. He had broad shoulders and quite a strong physic which would be intimidating to most. It meant nothing to Erik who was now irritated that his peaceful walk and thoughts had been interrupted.

The man came closer. "You were with one of my girls for quite a while tonight. I hoped you paid her well for such lengthy services Monsieur. I would hate for anything to happen to her. Perhaps you should pay me a little more for her protection."

Erik suddenly realized this was the man he had seen hit the girl earlier. He obviously owned and controlled the girl. No doubt he would take any money he had already given her. It infuriated Erik, making him think of Monsieur Garier and Laurette. His eyes narrowed dangerously at the man.

"So you are one that has no worry for such a young girl?" asked the man. "You obviously come out to pleasure yourself with pain inflicted on such an innocent child which, by the way, I have more who are even younger should you be interested in the future." The man smiled with pure evil at Erik, his face ragged and cruel. "I certainly cannot blame such a temptation myself. However, I cannot allow my girls to take as much time as you did. You wasted her night in making other profit for me. So I suggest strongly that you pay what you owe."

Erik kept still and was filled with hatred at the arrogance of this man who stood before him. He felt his heart pounding, anxious to welcome such a confrontation.

"Oh come now Monsieur," said the man who was now only inches away. "You obviously do not want anyone to know your identity. No doubt that is why you wear that mask. I am sure you are quite the wealthy man simply out and enjoying life's pleasures. But how would it look to your wife and children should you return home with blood on your shirt?"

Erik gave way to a strange smile. "I can assure you, Monsieur, the blood on my shirt would be yours, not mine."

The man lunged forward but Erik was too quick for him. In an instant he had the man's own knife and quickly plunged it into his neck. The man gagged and choked, then very slowly fell from Erik's grasp to his feet.

Erik continued to smile as he turned to make his way back to the Opera House. It had indeed been a most satisfying night.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Over the next few days Erik felt as if he were himself once more. While he still missed Laurette, he felt much more in control of his emotions. It was as if the girl and the murder of such an evil man lifted his spirits immensely.

Erik was also finding himself not as alone as he thought. Justine and now Andre began to regularly visit him in the morning to steal Maria's food. She was furious of course, but he also wondered if it wasn't she herself who in fact asked both of them to visit him. He knew he needed more human contact now that he was so used to it with Laurette. Isolating himself he had learned only caused him further pain.

Justine would always arrive first followed by Andre. Although Erik was usually annoyed by Justine, he remained quiet and for once, began to listen rather then judge and had to admit that the conversation was quite amusing.

"Do you know yet when we are going to rehearse a new production? I heard Monsieur Garier is going to extend the season," said Justine yawning at the breakfast table. He seemed very tired this morning, eating less then usual.

"No," replied Erik. I have not heard from…Madame Duprey." He forced his mind to say her formal title.

"Well I have heard he has relentlessly been using her at a number of social engagements. The man is so damn selfish, I hardly think he cares. But he will eventually need to return her to the stage." Justine yawned again, followed by Andre.

"And just how late were you out last night Justine?" asked Erik with narrowing eyes.

"I would not start to criticize me, Maestro. I doubt _you _sleep. You know, I once thought you could be some type of vampire species."

In response, Andre choked on his food and then shoved Justine so hard that they both fell off their chairs. This was quite fortunate for Justine as Erik would have done much worse. But secretly he was laughing yet he wouldn't dare do such a thing to lose his image to them.

"_What _Andre?" yelled Justine, "Hey, you didn't let me finish. I mean you have to admit that it adds up, doesn't it? Can't take sunlight and all? But then I realized he would have to sleep in a coffin during the day and he obviously doesn't do that. So I guess he is just human after all," said Justine grinning at Erik as he sat back down.

"You are an ass Justine," murmured Andre as he recomposed himself and sat back down next to him. "Your stories are worse then the real thing. The more I hear from you, the more I realize how little truth there probably was to the Opera Ghost stories."

Erik wished they would get off this subject. He had no desire to be asked about that time. "And just what were you doing out so late last night?"

"Courting women of course," Justine said with a smile. "What else is there?"

Erik shook his head. "The next performance is almost upon us and you need to be ready. There is more to being on stage then just strength in one's voice." Maria walked in with another serving dish of food as he said this.

"Yeah, I know. I have to have enough strength to handle so many female admirers after such a fine performance," said Justine.

"DIOS!" exclaimed Maria. "I cannot believe such behavior! How is it that you were raised under me and ended up this way?" Her face reddened as she looked at Erik, embarrassed that she was scolding Justine like a mother in front of him.

"It's not your fault Maria," said Andre now chiming in, "You were most likely such a strong influence on him as a woman that he just can't find anyone who measures up to you."

Justine grinned at Maria and she scoffed, but the flattery obviously worked. "You need to eat more Andre," she said pouring him more juice. She looked at Justine. "Why can't you be more like Andre? He is always quiet and good natured. His Uncle's influence is most likely the reason."

"Oh right. And last night he was only drinking water. I seem to recall you left with more then a few admirers," Justine said smugly looking at Andre.

Now Andre's face flushed. "You should talk Justine. At least I didn't stand on top of a table."

"Hey, there were too many women crowding around me. I needed some space."

"Oh yes, I could see how irritated you were when you were dancing with the woman you pulled up there with you. I suppose you were upset then when you fell off the table and broke the chair in your state."

"I slipped!"

"Oh _righ_t!"

"That's it!" exclaimed Maria with anger. "OUT!"

Justine grinned at Erik. "I'll see you at rehearsal," he said, and he quickly grabbed another muffin before Maria could smack his hand.

"I am sorry Maestro," said Maria looking somber after Justine and Andre had left. But her eyes widened with surprise when Erik began to laugh. It was most likely the first time she ever heard him do such a thing.

Erik couldn't help himself. Her face looked so red with embarrassment from her upbringing of Justine which he knew was in no way her fault. Seeing her so furious with Justine was always quite amusing to him.

"Maria, how could you possibly think that Justine's personality has anything to do with how you raised him?"

"Well, I would rather hope something I did would reform his manners." She sighed. "But that is not the case it seems." Her face took on the look of failure.

"He is not biologically your child. No doubt he has much of his father in him which would explain his behavior," said Erik trying to soothe her. "How did he come into your care?"

"He was orphaned when he was around seven years of age. I do not know how his mother or father died, only that he was living on the streets alone. I saw him each day when I traveled to the market for my previous master. He was always begging for food and I tried to usually give him something." She paused, a look of sadness on her face.

"Then one day I heard a commotion and saw girls from an upper class standing around in a circle. Justine was in the middle while three boys were beating him. The girls were laughing horribly. I took complete pity on him and shoved the children away. I almost lost my job for doing such a thing to children of such wealth, but my master highly regarded me and allowed Justine into our servant's home."

This explained quite a bit to Erik. No doubt the incident was etched into Justine's mind, especially the girls laughing at him. It seemed now his life ambition was to make sure he would never have a woman laugh at him again unless he wanted them to. And remembering his comment from the ball, Justine was every bit determined to have any upper class woman fawning after him.

"He is most fortunate that you found him Maria. And I do believe he truly does appreciate and love you."

Maria wrung her hands in a somewhat nervous gesture. Most likely she was not used to talking about her personal life with her employers. "Thank you Maestro. I only wish he would truly appreciate and love other women. Well, one woman would be quite enough actually."

Erik smiled. "Justine is endowed with natural good looks that he sometimes uses in a brash manner. But Laurette is right, even I can see his true soul when he sings. He has a very good heart even though one has to look for it."

Maria smiled in return.

"Tell me, how is it that Justine wanted to sing?" asked Erik suddenly interested.

"I am not quite certain Monsieur. Not long after I had taken him in, I was washing dishes one day and I began to hum a tune. Goodness knows I have no talent to sing myself. Justine came up behind me, and much to my surprise started singing to the tune. He actually just made up the words as he did not know the song. He was very good at that and seemed to be able to make anything into a song. Whenever he helped us with cleaning, he would always sing. He hated a servant's life and the singing made him feel better it seemed."

Erik nodded. "It is something he enjoys which is why he has an excellent voice."

"Do you really think so, Monsieur? Does Justine really have such a voice that could carry him far?"

"Justine has come far in the development of his voice. Each performance I hear it becomes stronger in depth of tone and shape. While he can still improve which will take time, he would in fact be easily employed by a number of theaters around the world." Erik suddenly had a thought. "Maria, have you ever watched Justine perform here at the Opera House?"

Her head went down slightly. "Well, I do admit that I have taken a few moments to watch during the rehearsals. But I promise you, Monsieur, I still made sure all my work was completely done."

Erik could not contain himself and rolled his eyes. "Maria, I could care less if you went one day without getting everything done. In fact, I doubt for you anything is _ever _done. My point is that you have never seen Justine perform during an actual show."

Maria raised her head. "Oh goodness, Monsieur, no! Servants are not allowed to attend such social events. Even those servants that travel with their masters wait outside the opera house until the performance is over. It is just a privilege alone to be living inside this place."

Seeing that it was now rehearsal time, Erik stood up. "Maria, you are to sit with me and Gautier in Box 5 at the next performance," he said as he began to walk toward the door.

"Oh no, Monsieur! I simply cannot do that."

Erik stopped and looked at her. "I am most serious about this Maria," he said with a low tone.

"But Mons-,"

"I will have Nicole or Chantel be sure to help and find you something to wear for the performance. I would give you money, but I know you would not spend it on such a thing." Before she could say anything further, Erik raised a hand up. "Thank you Maria, that is all." He knew this was the customary dismissal of a servant.

She frowned, bowed her head and disappeared back into the kitchen.

Erik casually walked to the theater. Once inside, he saw the usual warm-ups going on. Gautier immediately walked up to him.

"Still nothing! I have received nothing from Madame in three weeks! How is this possible? She always writes at least something!"

"No doubt Monsieur Garier sees no need for such a thing as the productions are now established. This allows him to ensure that she does not write Monsieur Rosseau who he thinks she is seeing."

Guatier was quiet for a moment. "_Is_ Monsieur Rosseau seeing Madame?"

Erik was unsure how to answer this. For all he knew, Guatier or anyone else may have guessed by now that it was him at the ball with Laurette. Was Guatier asking if he was really seeing Laurette? He shook his head. "That is a question you will have to ask Madame Duprey," he said quietly.

"Yes," replied Guatier now a bit flustered for even asking such a personal thing, "Of course."

Erik noticed a stagehand by the name of Paul hoisting up one of the sets. Philippe was no where in sight and Erik knew he usually would be directing how things should be set up for the rehearsal. He walked down the aisle and up to the stage. "Where is Philippe?" asked Erik to Paul.

Paul tugged on the side of one of the buildings he was setting up. "I'm not positive, but I think he went off to see if he could find some more things for the sets. He heard Dion talking earlier that there must be quite a few props down below."

If Erik's face could turn white, it would be that moment. There were hundreds of places Philippe could have gone to look for things down below. Most of the traps Erik set were further down, but none the less, Philippe could easily stumble upon one.

He abruptly turned and quickly walked backstage. Spotting Dion, Erik strode up to him. "Have you seen Philippe?"

"Yes," Dion said looking up from the music he was studying, "I think I saw him go down to look for some more props."

"Down where? Which way did he go down?" demanded Erik.

"That door over there," said Dion pointing to a dark area in the back. "Maestro, have you discussed with Nicole that we should perhaps be asking Madame Duprey's opinion first before we add more dancing into the Don Carlos production? I think she would want to know before we changed anything."

"We will discuss it later," said Erik quite worried about Philippe.

He left Dion and walked over to the door. He swore under his breath. Of all the places to go below, this was not best way. There was little light and the stairs quickly led to a series of tunnels in which one could easily get lost in the dark.

Walking swiftly down, Erik looked a few dozen places for Philippe. When he was growing concerned that he may have gone further down below, Erik heard the shuffling of feet. He went down the corridor listening carefully. Through the darkness, he could see a small figure. Erik reached out and grabbed him.

Philippe released a sharp breath which was most likely his way of screaming and tried to get away. "Philippe," said Erik, "It is only me."

Philippe stopped. Still breathing hard, he reached out to Erik and held onto his arm. His lantern had obviously gone out and he had been quite scared. "Once again I find you in hole. You will not come down here again, is that understood?" asked Erik in a very stern voice.

Philippe quickly nodded and Erik began to pull him through the maze of corridors back to the stairway. But Philippe stopped him and Erik could feel his hand tugging at his arm. "What?" asked Erik somewhat exasperated. He did not have time for Phillipe's scared thoughts.

Philippe pulled Erik down another path and then found himself before a huge array of props and sets.

"Alright," said Erik realizing what a treasure this was to him. "We will get Maurice and some others to help you get what you want. But you are still never to come down here unless I know."

Philippe nodded happily and Erik moved them back up the stairs to the stage. The Company had gathered now, looking for instruction. As Erik emerged with Philippe still hanging on his arm, Maurice came forward.

"Philippe? What are you doing?" asked Maurice a bit uncertain at this inappropriate behavior.

"I found him below looking for materials to use for the sets," said Erik. Philippe released Erik's arm and ran to hide behind his brother. Erik sighed. "You and a few others will come with me to retrieve what he wants. But I must warn all of you," said Erik at the Company with narrowed eyes, "No one is to ever go below after this. And I mean no one."

The Company looked a bit apprehensive at his low voice as he was sure the Opera Ghost stories were unraveling in their heads. One of the most famous tales was that anyone who ventured down below would not return. Knowing his traps were still set to protect his home, Erik was more then fine with this tale to continue to exist to keep the Company safe.

Erik accompanied some of the men down below with a number of lanterns. Philippe excitedly pointed to various items he wanted, which were of course, the heaviest things he could select. More of the men had to come down below and help lift parts of various old sets and props. However Erik did recognize that the items Philippe was choosing were already sparking ideas in his head on how to enhance the productions even more.

Maurice swore under his breath and groaned when they lifted a heavy chair that looked like a throne. Most likely Philippe wanted it for Don Carlos. Erik shrugged, how could he blame Philippe for wanting to better the production?

Having finally pleased Philippe who was happily running his hands over the items backstage and beginning to already work on them, Erik concentrated rehearsal on a number of areas that needed practice. The Company was doing well, but they were still quite inexperienced. He continued to work on their singing for the rest of the day.

By late afternoon Maria had arrived in the theater obviously looking for Erik. This triggered a thought about their earlier conversation and he leaned down to whisper in Julia's ear what he wanted her to do for Maria. She giggled and ran off to find Nicole and Chantel. Erik smiled watching her conspire with the other girls to find a dress for Maria. He had grown quite fond of Julia and loved watching how she looked innocent when up to something. Should her father arrange for Julia's marriage, Erik could only pray that the man would be kind and caring with her real innocence.

He turned to walk down off the stage and saw Justine staring at him, almost in anger. But he looked away from Erik and walked over to talk with Armond and Andre. Was he angry that he was doing something for Maria? Erik shrugged again. It didn't matter; he would have his way no matter what. It was these little amusements that were keeping him going despite his gnawing loneliness for Laurette.

Maria let him know that Dr. Charrette had arrived and Erik told Guatier to end the rehearsal. He retreated behind the curtain and into a secret side door. Arriving at the library, he saw Dr. Charrette rise from one of two red velvet chairs where a chess set was neatly displayed.

"How are you Erik?" asked the Doctor smiling.

Erik reached out and shook his hand. "Fine. I have the tickets for you. If you wait a moment, I will get them."

"Thank you Erik, but I need to give you this first." Dr. Charrette reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out an envelope. "This is directly from Laurette. She wanted me to let you know how sorry she is that she has not been able to write. She insisted that I make sure this came directly to you."

Erik eagerly took the letter and put it inside his coat pocket.

"Take your time," said the Doctor smiling at Erik as he turned to leave, "I'll just be looking at a few more of these interesting books." Erik knew the doctor was referring to him having a moment to read such a long awaited letter. He smiled in appreciation to Dr. Charrette and headed to Laurette's suite.

He sat down on her bed and took out the envelope. Erik realized his hands were actually trembling as he slowly opened it. He took a breath and began to read.

_Erik,_

_I am so glad Dr. Charrette has stopped by. I trust him to give this letter directly to you. I tried to write 'Gautier' a letter a few weeks ago but Monsieur Garier threw it in the fire. He insisted I had nothing further to discuss on the production and to concentrate only on his private engagements. _

_How I miss you! My room has a balcony and every night I look out at the stars thinking of you. The moon has been particularly beautiful lately has it not? I hope you did not think I had abandoned you. In fact, I worry that you will abandon me and all my nonsense to keep this up. I know I should just resign. But where would I go? Where would the Company go? I cannot bear the thought of their unhappiness. But I also cannot bear our separation. I know we will find a solution somehow._

_Now for the wonderful news. I am making a surprise appearance at the very next show. Monsieur Garier wants us to perform La Petite with me as Elvira. You may have little time to switch the sets around so quickly in the next few days so please tell Philippe as soon as possible. Monsieur Garier, the idiot, thought to only announce it the day of the performance to keep it a secret for more publicity. But at least I will finally get to see you again! I do not know how long I will be allowed to stay, but I will take anything I can to be back at the Opera House once more._

_I sincerely hope I remember all the spots on stage for Elvira. Make sure to tell Justine not to step on my toes if I forget! Be sure Dion is prepared and tell Andre to sound more upbeat in his duet with Justine. Also, the town set needs more work, but I know it is most likely too late for that._

_I love you._

_Laurette_

Erik stared at the words "I love you" written on the page. His heart was pounding, his head hurt, and his body raged with need. He would finally see her at last. And damn him for having no control when he did see her. Erik worried his appetite would devour her for sure with how long it had been.

Erik tucked the envelope back into his pocket. He walked over and retrieved the tickets promised to Dr. Charrette in one of Laurette's dressing table drawers. He had easily taken them earlier in the week for this next performance. In addition, Erik made sure he had specifically taken one of the best private balconies for the couple's anniversary.

Erik stepped through the secret mirror and hastily made his way to the theater. He was relieved when he found Philippe who had still lingered behind, intrigued with the items that they had brought up from below. Erik told him of the change in shows and watched as Phillipe's eyes widened in response. He immediately began to pull things offstage. He knew Philippe would insist on staying all night. Erik would check on him later and maybe even help if he could.

He made his way back to the library and found Dr. Charette playing himself with the chess board. Erik handed him the tickets and the Doctor smiled. "Thank you Erik. Mary will be most delighted with this surprise. And, I understand from Laurette that she is going to surprise you with a visit as well," said Dr. Charette with eyes gleaming and making it a point that he knew Erik read the letter.

Erik nodded. "Yes. How is she?"

Dr. Charette sank back into the chair. "I knew you were going to ask me that. Laurette begged me to tell you she is fine, but I am not good at lying."

Erik sat in the opposite chair, his chest tightening with concern.

"She has been quite tired lately, no doubt because of all the engagements she has had to attend for Monsieur Garier. But I am afraid that Dr. Fornier also paid her a visit," he said quietly.

Erik tightened his hands into fists, his jaw clenched. "What?"

The Doctor sighed. "He cut a gash into her lower arm and bled her is what I was told. I was furious of course and inspected her myself as soon as I saw her. She does in fact have a scar on her arm and looked quite white when I saw her. I'm filing a complaint with the medical board against Dr. Fornier that he treated my patient without consent. I am trying to have her removed from Monsieur Garier's estate."

Erik tried to keep the boiling in his fury down in reaction to this news. "Where would you tell the medical board that you would place her?" asked Erik hoping it would be here at the Opera House with Maria as the care giver.

Reading his thoughts, the Doctor shook his head. "She has to be placed in the care of someone besides a servant. I will list my own home as the place of care."

"Thank you Doctor," said Erik disappointed but also relieved that at least he was trying to get her away from Monsieur Garier. But his thoughts turned to the other doctor. "Should you see Dr. Fornier again, I would suggest you tell him to stay away from the Opera House for his own safety," he said harshly.

To Erik's surprise, Dr. Charrette smiled. "Now why would I want to warn him of such a thing?" He switched the subject. "Do you play chess Erik?"

"Yes."

"And are you any good at it?"

Erik smiled. "Perhaps you should find out."

"Alright," replied Dr. Charrette happily setting up the pieces once more. "I'll be white and you will be black. Appropriate don't you think?"

Erik shook his head at the Doctor's mocking tone. "Not all doctors represent the good side as you well know."

"I doubt I would ever give that man any such privilege to play me in chess, although the humiliation of beating him would be rewarding." He moved a pawn forward.

Erik responded with a pawn of his own. "How is it that such a doctor can be so respected?"

"As much as I hate to admit it," said Dr. Charette moving another pawn, "there are many doctors, even those I like, that believe in such methods. Some of them firmly believe they truly are helping the patient. Bleeding a patient is releasing the poison from the blood. It is believed the body will regenerate more blood to replace that which is lost adding strength. Unfortunately of course, it does the opposite. But we are still in a time of learning."

Erik moved a pawn on the left of the board forward. "Well apparently you have learned much."

"I like experimenting," he replied as he moved a bishop forward, "Most of the time it is overlooked that the body is such a natural healer in itself."

Erik nodded and moved his rook. "Things that are natural in this world are the key to healing. There are quite a few herbs that have such natural power. It makes sense with such things growing from the earth to provide us with what we need. The same is of our own instincts to preserve our own life."

"You have quite the knowledge on such things." The doctor moved his own rook.

"Knowledge is easy to get from others, what matters is how to use it," replied Erik moving his bishop.

The doctor gleefully had his pawn take Erik's bishop. Erik in turn quickly moved his rook and took the doctor's bishop.

"Damn it," said the doctor as he scowled, "what was I thinking?"

"About knowledge," replied Erik.

"And what little I have?"

"I did not say that."

The Doctor moved his knight out. "Well, your action did."

"Of all the people I know, I would say that you use knowledge most wisely doctor. Otherwise Laurette may not be here today." Erik frowned a bit as he moved a pawn. "Well, not completely here," he said bitterly.

The doctor smiled sympathetically. "Laurette is very strong in spirit. I cannot deny that a strong will helps in such a recovery." He moved his other rook out.

"Yes, well I grow tired of only having her spirit. It would do the world good if Monsieur Garier would release her."

The doctor suddenly seemed to shift uncomfortably. "The world? Or do you mean those who visit the Opera House?"

Erik looked up. "As in taking out my revenge on others? Trust me doctor, the only person who would get such an honor would be the man himself. I have already had more then enough opportunities, but I did not wish to upset the Company by allowing them to see such a thing. Or Laurette for that matter."

Dr. Charrette was unusually quiet for a moment, studying the board. Erik could not help but wonder if his lack of response was due to something in his past. He tried to think of something to change the subject. And then he remembered Andre.

"I notice Andre has the same fondness of Dr. Fornier as you do," said Erik as he moved a bishop.

"He has good reason."

"And that is?"

Dr. Charrette straightened in his sitting position. "Perhaps another time. I really need to be getting home to Mary. But I'll stop by next week if you would like to finish this game?"

"Certainly."

The Doctor stood up as did Erik. He retrieved his hat and gloves. "Thank you again for the tickets Erik."

Erik nodded and watched as the doctor left. Dr. Charrette seemed to genuinely be kind to him. However Erik could not but help think there was something he still held back in his trust. Sighing, Erik went back to the theater to help Philippe with the sets.

By Friday evening, Erik could barely contain himself. After three weeks he was finally going to see Laurette once more and he found it rather hard to concentrate on the Company's mindless questions with their nerves. He did grin however, when he saw Julia, Nicole, and Chantel dragging Maria into one of the dressing rooms as they carried a dress with them. She was quite angry and spoke a number of words in Spanish. Maria would have been quite humiliated if she knew Erik clearly understood the words of various curses she spoke. Spanish was quite an easy language to him.

Erik walked back to the secret dressing room mirror and waited. Once more he had placed a rose in her chair, this time the color of peach. He badly wanted to see her, hold her. But he hoped in a way that she would not be alone for once. Erik did not think he would be able to hold himself back if he touched her and he wanted that to wait until at least after the performance.

Before long, Erik heard the familiar chattering of women voices and the dressing room door opened. Bernadette appeared first, followed by Laurette and then another servant. Erik sharply inhaled when he looked at Laurette. Not because he missed her, but because of her appearance. He had never seen her look so white. Her face looked almost ghostly. Erik was furious and stood rigid as anger swept through him.

"Sit down," demanded Bernadette pulling out the chair and throwing the rose aside. "That awful servant Maria tried to insist that you eat something she made. But I have brought my own food for you since we did not have time for lunch."

She hadn't eaten since breakfast? Now Erik was fuming.

Laurette shook her head as Bernadette placed a sandwich in front of her. She looked so frail.

"Eat," demanded Bernadette. Laurette frowned at her and instead reached for the rose.

"_Eat_," whispered Erik through the mirror in a melodic voice he had once used to command Christine.

"What was that?" asked Bernadette looking around. But she soon forgot about the voice when she saw Laurette eating.

Satisfied that he managed to get her to eat, Erik decided to make his way back to Box 5. When he arrived, he happily saw Maria sitting next to Guatier who was trying to coax her into a good mood. Julia and the other girls did a wonderful job as Erik saw she wore quite a beautiful blue satin gown, her hair elegantly put up unlike the typical hairstyle she normally wore. She saw him and tried to stand up as a servant would. Erik put his hand on her shoulder and held her firmly in place.

"Good evening Maria," he said pleasantly.

Maria bit her lip. "Good evening Monsieur."

Careful so that he was not seen, Erik remained near the inner wall of the balcony. "You look quite lovely this evening."

Much to his delight, Maria flushed. "Julia selected the dress."

"She has exquisite taste."

"Yes, well I assure you Monsieur, I will not be in it again."

"Maria, would you take just one moment to actually enjoy this evening?"

She looked down. "I do not mean to sound unappreciative Monsieur. I am just not used to…"

"Being treated as a person rather then a servant all the time?" finished Erik.

"Maria, you raised Justine," said Gautier now speaking up, "You deserve to be here for at least one of his performances."

The lights flickered and then dimmed. With darkness now upon them, Erik took a seat. He scanned the audience and then to the other balconies. He saw Dr. Charrette and Mary looking extremely happy. Their private box enabled them to be alone as Erik made sure the other two seats in it were left empty. He watched as Dr. Charrette kissed Mary's hand next to him.

The performance began and Justine made his usual stunning entrance. Erik saw that Maria was already brushing away tears from his performance. Her anger had now quickly dissolved as she watched him.

Laurette did well as Elvira and for once Erik was relieved that Justine was not playing her lover in this opera. Andre acted the part of Alfonso well, but he also seemed to not be as into the romantic scenes as Justine. He was still believable as the character and the audience would not know any difference, but Erik smiled as he watched Andre almost uncomfortably kiss Laurette. Justine would have not wasted any time to passionately kiss her. Andre was quite timid, barely brushing her lips with his. Amused, Erik simply could not feel jealous this time, although there was no denying his body already aching as he watched her.

As the show concluded, Erik quietly slipped out a secret passageway from the balcony. He could hear the thunderous applause and knew a standing ovation was taking place. He quietly stood behind Laurette's dressing room mirror and waited.

Then suddenly she was there. Much to his delight, Erik saw her close the door firmly and lock it. When she turned around, he was already inside the room looking at her with such hunger he was almost afraid he could not control himself and take her right there.

Laurette's eyes widened at the sight of him and she ran to him. He captured her in his embrace and she pulled away to look at him. Her face was still quite pale, but her eyes were shining, her mouth full and sensual.

Erik pulled her to him and pressed his mouth against hers. She grew heavy with weakness at the first touch of his lips. He tried to hold her gently but could not hold back his hunger as his body clenched and burned for her. He swore he was going to squeeze the life right out of her if he did not loosen his grip on her. Abruptly Erik pulled away and looked into her eyes. He had to have her. Now. He could not wait until later.

Holding her hand firmly, Erik pulled her through the mirror into the back passageway. He quickly walked along the corridor almost dragging her behind him. She said nothing and simply went with him.

Upon reaching her suite, Erik let her step through the mirror with him quickly following. As soon as they were inside the room, he grabbed her shoulders and turned her around, his mouth once again claiming hers. He felt her tremble, felt her hands move to caress his chest. He began to throw off his clothes and then yanked the dress over her head. His hands tore the ties of the crinoline and he lifted her up into his arms. He controlled himself enough to gently place her on the bed, but then the look of her face wanting him was too much.

He cursed over and over in his mind. There was no way he would be able to ensure her pleasure first. He was certain the moment they came together would be too much for him to bear. Erik struggled with himself. There was no way in hell he was going to give into such selfishness. There had to be some way to please her without giving into his body's need for release.

And then he remembered his experience with the girl. Erik moved slightly off of Laurette despite her small whimper of protest. He passionately kissed her neck and his fingers caressed her breasts. She was breathing quite heavily and he felt her tremble as his fingers went lower to her stomach and then to her inner thighs.

Unexpectedly, Laurette reached down and moved his hand away. "No," she whispered raggedly. She was trying to pull him on top of her once more.

He held himself in place on his side and moved his head back to hers. Kissing her once more, he allowed his fingers to return to their exploration. She tried to push him away again, but he held his hand firmly, his fingers beginning to reach her most intimate core. He knew this was something that could bring her pleasure.

She was straining against him, partly in resistance and partly in anticipation. He could sense her unhappiness that he was forcing her to comply with his actions. He felt her tremble and he moved his fingers intricately within her flesh until her entire body seemed to writhe almost violently.

Knowing he had succeeded, Erik moved on top of her and quickly sated his own lust. As he already had known, it was only a few moments, not long enough to possibly last for her pleasure. Still breathing hard, he pulled his head away and looked at her.

"Hello," she breathed softly while smiling.

Erik laughed huskily. He suddenly realized they hadn't even spoken any greeting until just now. "Hello," he said unable to contain his grin at her.

Her smile faltered and Erik noticed how tired she looked, her eyes small and heavy. But she tilted her head up and gave him a soft kiss. "They will be looking for me," she whispered as she pulled her face away from his. The sparkle in her eyes now seemed to have faded.

"You are too weak Laurette. I will spread the word that you are resting and Dr. Charette insists that you are to stay in bed."

Laurette merely nodded and it was then he realized just how sick she still was. Her usual rebellious personality when it came to Dr. Charette's care was gone. She was completely drained and it worried him that it felt almost as if her spirit was beaten.

"_Go to sleep Laurette_," Erik whispered in his mesmerizing tone. Within seconds she was sleeping quietly.

He carefully eased himself from her and out of the bed. After quickly dressing, Erik crept along the back passageways until he came to an area backstage. He saw Justine smiling widely as a number of women seemed to flock around him.

"_Justine_," Erik whispered in his melodic tone knowing it would reach inside Justine's mind while no one else heard. He was beginning to suddenly need to use this talent. He did not want to force anyone including Laurette to do anything by his command, but tonight was not giving him much choice.

Justine's head jerked up at the sound of the voice. He turned his head and his eyes widened as he saw Erik standing in the shadows. "Um, if you ladies will please wait for me in the entry way, I need to finish up a few things."

"But if you come with _me_ now, I will help in finishing a few things that you have started," said one blonde girl with a seductive smile.

Caught by her green eyes, Justine hesitated. He reached his hand out and touched the girl's face while the other women looked irritated at his reaction.

"_Justine!_"

"Yes damn it, I mean, no…I have to do a few things," said Justine now shaking his head and bringing himself to his senses.

Erik sighed. He wasn't quite sure who had more power – Justine's good looks or the women who wanted him. He watched as Justine finally managed to wriggle himself free of the group, persuading them to leave out of sight.

Once gone, his face turned to concern as he walked over to Erik. "What is wrong?"

"Laurette has taken ill. Please tell Monsieur Garier that she will not be attending whatever function he has planned for tonight."

"With pleasure Maestro."

"And send Dr. Charette to Laurette's suite if you can find him."

"Of course."

"And Justine," said Erik in a low tone, "Do not be staying out late this evening. You have another performance tomorrow."

"But Maestro, did you see that girl? She had green eyes! Have you ever seen anyone with green eyes? And that golden hair was so-,"

"_Justine_," said Erik in an irritated voice.

"Ok, ok, I got it," replied Justine in a sore tone. He set off to find Monsieur Garier and Dr. Charette.

Erik made his way back to the dining room outside of Laurette's suite and found Maria. "Bring hot tea and more blankets to Laurette's room. And put this in her tea," said Erik handing Maria some herbs he knew would soothe and relax her. Maria nodded and turned to leave but then Erik stopped her remembering Laurette's reaction to Dr. Charette's medicine. "But do not tell her you-,"

"Put anything in the tea," Maria finished smiling. "Yes, Monsieur."

Satisfied, Erik nodded and returned to Laurette's room. To his dismay he found her face even more ghostly white. When he touched her hand, he found that it was ice cold. Cursing himself for already placing her under more exhaustion from his own physical needs, Erik grabbed one of her warmest night dresses. He carefully sat her up and pulled it over her head.

"Erik?" she murmured, her eyes half open.

"Go back to sleep Laurette," he whispered.

"I…I do not feel-," And then she clutched her stomach, pain twisting upon her face.

"Laurette," said Erik with worry, "What is it? What is wrong?"

She shook her head.

Maria came in with more blankets and quickly placed them over her on the bed. "Madame! You look…you look so pale!"

"Well at least you look beautiful Maria," Laurette managed weakly.

Maria flushed with embarrassment as she was still dressed elegantly in the dress she wore for the performance. "Lay down Madame," she commanded.

"No…," Her voice shook and she began to tremble. When she suddenly placed her hand to her lips it was then Erik realized she was going to be sick. She was trying to force herself to have some dignity under the situation, refusing to give into her body's demands.

Cursing at her stubbornness, Erik threw back the covers and swiftly picked her up. As he carried her to the adjoining bathroom, Dr. Charette practically burst into the room.

"Let me see her," he demanded.

Erik ignored him as Laurette shuddered and tried to wriggle free from him in one last effort to get away. Before anyone in her bedroom could protest, he shut the bathroom door with his foot knowing Laurette did not want anyone to see her become sick. He slowly lowered her to the floor near the sink and she finally gave into her body's demands. She was now shaking almost violently and once finished, he tenderly washed her face and kissed her. Crying, Laurette buried her face into his chest and he cradled her to him, murmuring words of comfort.

Finally composing herself, she tried to stand but quickly lost her balance. Erik was still shocked at how weak she was as he caught her. She had hidden it well during the performance, even from him during their intimate moment earlier. But now she was paying the price as her body would give no more.

Opening the bathroom door, Erik picked her up once more and carried her back into the bedroom. He saw that Dr. Charette was pacing and upon seeing them he quickly shadowed Erik as he lay her down on the bed. The doctor threw aside his gloves and rid himself of his formal jacket he had worn for the Opera. Mary appeared right beside him complete in her silk ivory gown.

"You should have not performed tonight Laurette," the Doctor reprimanded her in a grave tone. His face turned to a look of concern as she practically now lay lifeless on the bed. Mary handed him his bag and Dr. Charette opened it to reveal a number of small glass bottles containing various medications. Taking one of them, he filled a syringe and then plunged the needle into her arm. She gave no response, no reaction of pain and her eyes closed.

"Will she be alright?" asked Maria with a look of concern.

"That depends on if she follows my orders," said the doctor. Straightening, he looked at Erik. "She must stay in bed for the rest of the week. I will make it known that she is not to perform for at least another month…two months if I can help it." Dr. Charrette reached down and examined Laurette's neck and felt her forehead. "Damn him," he muttered. "She is not going to perform any more of his stupid engagements. She wore herself out even before this night."

"I have to admit that I had no idea she was so ill during the performance," said Erik with dismay.

"That's because she is so damn clever. I have little doubt she badly wanted to return here to the Opera House and convinced Monsieur Garier she was well enough to do so despite all of the long evenings she was spending at his parties."

"As if he would need convincing?"

"You are right of course," muttered the doctor, "the man could care less. She will sleep for some time with the medicine I just gave her. Maria, force her to drink and eat. She is dehydrated and needs much nourishment. I'll return in the next day or so."

"Thank you," said Erik. He looked at Mary. "I am sorry that your evening out to celebrate your anniversary had to end in this way."

Mary smiled. "Andre was very good. I was very proud of him. I cannot thank you enough for allowing us to be here."

"His mother would have been very proud of him," said Dr. Charrette softly. In response, Mary reached out and held her husband's hand. He looked down for a moment in what Erik thought was a sad look, but then composed himself solemnly. "Take care of her Erik."

Erik nodded and Maria retrieved the doctor's coat and gloves. Mary smiled at Erik and taking her husband's arm, they left quietly with Dr. Charette shaking his head in concern.

"Is there anything you need?" asked Maria once they were gone.

Erik shook his head. "Go to bed Maria."

She began to leave but then stopped. "I do thank you for allowing me to watch the performance. I had no idea Justine was that…"

"Mesmerizing?" asked Erik with a faint smile.

"Yes," replied Maria smiling back. "Thank you."

After she had left, Erik crawled on the bed and held Laurette, swearing to himself that he would see to it that he would take care of her and give her the rest she needed.

In the morning, he awakened to see that Laurette had not moved. Frightened for a moment, he reached out and was relived when he felt her softly breathing. Erik kissed her forehead gently noticing that it was slightly warm.

To his surprise, Laurette's eyes fluttered opened and then she winced with soreness, almost releasing a soft moan as she tried to move. Erik slid off the bed and went to fill her tub with warm water. He crushed some herbs into the water knowing it would ease her sore body. When he returned, he found Maria already in the room with fresh towels.

Without a word, Erik lifted Laurette into his arms and carried her to the bathroom with Maria following. Gently sitting her down on a chair, he lifted off the night dress. She made no protest, obviously too weak to care about the situation. Erik gently lifted her into the soothing warm water. Maria got down on her knees and began to run water over Laurette's hair so she could wash it. Erik took a warm wet cloth with scented herbs and began to wash her face then her body. Under normal circumstances this would almost horrify Erik to do something so private with Maria in the room, but neither even thought about the issue for one moment. Both Maria and Erik's total concentration was to soothe and care for Laurette.

She seemed to relax under Maria's fingertips in her hair and Erik's gentle touch as he rubbed her shoulders. Erik washed every inch of her body. He paid particular attention to her legs and feet, massaging them with infinite tenderness. By the time they were finished, Laurette was practically asleep once more.

Erik lifted her out of the tub and Maria enfolded Laurette into a large towel, patting her dry. He placed her in bed, sitting her up slightly as Maria put a fresh night gown on her. Seeing that she was safely back to sleep, Erik nodded at Maria and went down below to change.

Over the next few days, Erik rarely left her side. He had instructed Gautier to continue with rehearsals and Julia had to sing the lead in the next evening's performance. Monsieur Garier was furious. He had stopped by the Opera House trying to see Laurette but Erik had ensured that the door to her suite would not open by any means. Monsieur Garier cursed and yelled, banging into the door with all his might. Seeing that it was useless, he stormed off to the theater.

Erik followed along the back passageways to the theater. He would not allow any harm to befall the company. He watched warily from above on the catwalk as Monsieur Garier strode across the stage to talk with Gautier.

"You had better make sure tonight's performance is flawless Gautier or it will mean your job. Do you understand?" asked Monsieur Garier with eyes blazing at him.

"Of course Monsieur," replied Gautier nervously. The cast had gathered behind him, murmuring their concern.

Monsieur Garier's eyes wandered to Julia and Erik grew tense. "Just what is your last name?" he demanded to her.

"Caron," said Julia softly.

"Ah, yes," Monsieur Garier said with his eyes clearly roaming over Julia's small frame, "I know of your father. He makes fairly wise decisions or so I am told. Perform well tonight and I will make sure to provide greater prospects that your family will most appreciate."

"Y-yes, Monsieur."

"She is not cattle," muttered Justine a few steps away.

"What did you say?" asked Monsieur Garier sharply with a glare at Justine.

"Julia should be free to make her own decision."

Monsieur Garier suddenly began to laugh. "You have much to learn, my young tenor. Still, you have the charisma that will take you quite far."

_Charisma…that is a word for it_, thought Erik.

"I would rather be poor and on the streets before I was ever like you," said Justine with narrowed eyes.

"That can be arranged," replied Monsieur Garier softly. He smiled. "But you are far too wise Justine. Despite your orphaned status with no real family name, you are already becoming known. You will soon have more then you could ever dream. But it will always be known that it was I who created you."

Justine stepped forward, his hands clenched in fists. "Madame Duprey will always be known for my success. She is my teacher, my mentor, and has…my love."

Erik's head tilted in reaction as if to listen closer that he must have misunderstood what Justine had just said.

"Love?" roared Monsieur Garier with laughter. "You could have any woman in the world Justine. Surely you see that more each day. Why would you want to marry an older woman?"

"I did not say I meant love in the sense of marriage," said Justine much to Erik's relief. "But she will always have my loyalty first above all others, even other women. And by the way, Madame Duprey is not much older then I am Monsieur. Yet she looks the age and beauty of Julia." Julia blushed slightly at Justine's compliment but Monsieur Garier was frowning.

"You think it is wise to put such faith in her? Already she is showing signs of falling from the stardom I have created for her. If she continues to keep up this nonsense and remain in bed, she will quickly lose society's interest. Stay loyal to me and I will ensure your stardom reaches heights you never dreamed possible."

"Never," replied Justine in a low voice.

"Fine," said Monsieur Garier shrugging. "Julia, remember what I said. You are no diva but you sing well. I can provide what you are looking for in your future. Your father will be most proud."

Julia said nothing, her eyes looking down. Justine clenched his jaw and Monsieur Garier smiled, walking off the stage and out of the theater. Gautier continued rehearsal while Erik emerged to correct a few things he had seen in last night's performance. He nodded at Nicole who was warming up and smiling at him, most anxious to discuss the latest ideas she had. But all Erik could think about was returning to Laurette.

"Are you alright Maestro?" It was Julia. She had come up beside Erik without him even noticing.

He looked down at her. "Yes, I am fine."

"But Madame Duprey is not."

Erik saw the look in Julia's eyes, as if she knew this was more of a concern to him then anyone else. "Dr. Charette will be looking after her. She will get better."

There was silence for a moment then Julia bit her lip. "Did you overhear the conversation with Monsieur Garier?"

Erik hesitated. "Yes," he finally said figuring they all most likely knew he watched everything when not in view.

"Do you look down upon me for such a thing?"

Erik looked away, slightly uncomfortable with this personal conversation. But he took a breath and met her eyes. "I would only ever have respect for you Julia. And I hope that anyone else would as well. But more importantly, you must first above all else, have respect for yourself. That is all that matters in any decisions about your life."

"I'll make sure to distract you tonight somehow Julia," said Justine coming up to them. "That way if you make a mistake you have no hope of that fool setting you up with anyone."

"Shut up Justine," said Julia. Her face flooded with color at the realization of the entire conversation and she walked away.

Erik sighed. "How is it that you can court so many women with that mouth of yours?"

Justine shrugged. "I cannot help it that so many look upon me with such admiration."

"Except for Julia."

"Well…yes, I mean no," said Justine suddenly looking flustered. "She just doesn't realize it."

"I see," said Erik acting as if Justine were teaching him something. "Let me make it clear Justine. If you in any way interfere with Julia's performance this evening, I will make your life quite miserable. Not to mention you would be letting Madame Duprey down."

"Fine, I'll let Julia make her own mistakes, especially when it comes to her life." He smiled mockingly at Julia from a distance.

"Why do you insist on treating her in such a way Justine?" asked Erik quite annoyed at Justine. He had more important things to do then discuss Justine's ego.

"I can't help it. She just irritates me. A woman should be able to choose who she wants."

"Oh yes, such as the women who flock to you? At least Julia has a mind that she uses."

"If she chooses to be matched in marriage for wealth, I would not say that is using her mind Maestro."

Erik shook his head. "Julia has the mind to make her own decision when it comes to her future, her welfare. She is looking for more then just good looks." He couldn't help but say this with some bitterness. To Erik, Justine had no appreciation for what he had when it came to his face.

Justine studied Erik for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "Chantel and Nicole are from noble family backgrounds. I do not see them making such decisions."

Erik sighed. "What does it matter Justine? Why do you continue to hate Julia so?"

"Hate is a strong word Maestro. But I will admit that she greatly drives me crazy. She can be so…so irritating. God help the man that marries her." With that, Justine turned on his heel and stalked off.

That evening Julia sang very well, as if to prove to Justine that she could do the performance no matter what he tried to do. But most of Erik's concentration remained with Laurette as he continued spending hour after hour at her bedside. He and Maria forced her to drink fluids. Happily for Erik, she did seem to like the tea he made Maria prepare with the herbs he provided. It seemed to soothe her stomach and help her sleep.

After a few days, Erik was thrilled when she was finally able to sit up in bed and argue with him over giving her another bath.

"I am sure Maria and I can manage," she said frowning at him.

"It's not like I haven't already done this Laurette."

"What do you mean?"

Erik suddenly realized she had no memory of that morning when he and Maria bathed Laurette together. He sighed heavily.

"Fine, but I will insist on carrying you to the bath and placing you in it."

"No."

"Laurette, that is the final word or I will wash every square inch of you myself even if in front of Maria," said Erik smiling as he knew he had already done this.

"Fine," she muttered. But then her eyes grew suddenly wide. "Erik?" she whispered, "You are bleeding!"

Erik suddenly felt a warm trickle down his chin. He cursed and turned away. Blood was coming from underneath the mask.

"What is it? Erik? What is wrong?" Laurette asked in a quivering voice.

"Nothing," replied Erik harshly.

Keeping his back to her, Erik retreated through the secret mirror and down below. Upon reaching his home, he looked into the broken mirror in his room and took off the mask. The gash in his face had re-opened. Worse, it seemed to be almost spreading in size. Erik had been placing an herb mixture on it but unlike his arm that it had healed quite well, it did not appear to be helping this time.

He carefully stitched the gash closed once more and studied the damage. He laughed. What damage? What did it matter? As if anyone would notice a difference. As long as he kept it from bleeding that was all that did matter.

Finished, he returned to Laurette and found Maria waiting in the room. Ignoring Laurette's concerned face, Erik silently picked up Laurette and took her to the warm bath.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Felicite, try to sing with more confidence," said Erik from the theater seats looking up at the stage. She seemed to be better at playing the helpless mute but he dared not say such a thing. "And Chantel, you need to stand more center stage."

They nodded and started the song again. Next to him, Laurette sat quietly. He had allowed her to be at the rehearsal on the condition she remained seated the entire time. Still, he was pleased that her recovery was going along well. For the last week, Erik had kept his silent vow and allowed her to rest. Despite her protests, except for the first few nights when she was so weak, Erik slept down below in his own home. He was not going to risk any of his physical needs to slow her recovery.

Doctor Charrette had returned a few days ago and was very pleased with her progress. He had let them know the good news was that Laurette would be allowed to stay and rest at the Opera House for the next few weeks. Actually, he admitted this was a slight lie as the doctor had told the medical board that she would stay at his house. But he could not be firm and take Laurette away from Erik as he saw how happy they were to be together. He was certain this was what helped in Laurette's recovery.

Still, Erik felt his body betraying him as he sat back in the seat next to Laurette. With her now feeling better, he did not think he could hold out much longer. Her scent intoxicated him. The feel of her soft hand brushing his as they bent over a music sheet was killing him. All he could think of was ripping off that blouse and skirt so he could have her.

"Erik?"

"What? Oh, yes. I think you are right. Chantel should come in a little sooner to add to the voices in the chorus in this section."

"You mean Olivie."

"Yes, Olivie, that is who I meant."

"Of course," replied Laurette smiling and biting her lower lip to keep from laughing.

Erik knew a few ways to wipe that smile off her face and replace it with that blazing look she could give him. He took a deep breath trying to regain control. After the song was finished, Erik signaled Gautier to end the rehearsal. A few tried to stop and talk to Laurette as they wandered out of the theater but Erik narrowed his eyes at them and they kept walking. He had made it very clear earlier to them that she was under no circumstances to participate as a director today.

Laurette rolled her eyes at him. "Must you be so domineering? You think no one knows of our relationship now with how you act?"

This thought had not occurred to him and it did suddenly make his mind fill with worry. He did not want Laurette's leadership questioned nor did he want the cast to think they had become unprofessional.

"I am sorry," he said softly.

Laurette shook her head and then smiled brightly as Julia dared to approach. "How are you Madame?" she asked anxiously.

"Much better, thank you Julia. You did well today. I heard you also did well in my place in the last performance."

"Well, it certainly could not come close to how you sing Madame," said Julia blushing slightly, "But I did give it my best." She suddenly made a face beyond them and Erik turned to see Justine scowling at her.

"Ignore him," said Erik calmly although he wanted to walk over and rip Justine's head off.

"I'm not sure how much longer I can Maestro. He is making my life miserable. I have to admit that he is pushing me to make my decision to leave the Opera world much sooner then even I had thought." She looked at Erik sheepishly. "I am meeting a friend of Monsieur Garier's tonight with my father."

"Who?" asked Laurette before Erik could ask the question.

Julia hesitated and looked away. "Monsieur Antoine Leduc."

Laurette looked immediately at Erik who was trying to hold back from reaching out to grab Julia and keep her at the Opera House for her own sake. "Julia," Laurette said gently, "you do know what kind of man Monsieur Leduc is?"

Julia could not look at either of them. "I cannot refuse such an invitation. My...my father would be furious. Just because I am meeting him does not mean he will show any interest."

"And why not Julia?" asked Laurette. "You are of excellent family stature with a fine voice. You are not a diva that could overshadow someone like him. No, you are one that very well may be perfect from an appearance standpoint for someone like Antoine."

"And is that such a terrible thing?" asked Julia suddenly somewhat angry. "My father is ill!" Julia suddenly blurted out. "You know women are not left with anything Madame! And my mother has no male relatives with any wealth. I have to provide for her and myself."

Erik thought for sure Laurette would have responded with a speech that Julia could make it on her own just as she had. But he was instead very surprised when her face softened. "I am sorry Julia. I do understand and I hope that your mother will be strong."

Julia wiped away a few tears and smiled. "Thank you Madame." She turned and walked somberly to the theater doors.

"Why didn't you stop her?" demanded Erik furiously.

"Stop her from what? Living in a man's world?" she asked back in a biting tone.

"Laurette, she may not be a famous diva, but she can still find work…with us, with other opera houses. She would not go poor."

"Julia does not want to be an Opera singer Erik. She wants to be a wife and mother."

"And she should sacrifice love for that?" asked Erik sarcastically.

"It is her decision," said Laurette quietly, "As it is mine to continue in the directing role. You have to allow what little freedom us women have in making _some_ decisions."

His breath caught in his throat. Damn her for bringing that up. "You will not be returning to Monsieur Garier," he said flatly.

Laurette stood up, glared at him, and walked swiftly out of the theater.

"Wow, she looked really mad. What did you disagree with her on? Felicite's singing?" Erik turned to see Justine staring down at him with a smile. Andre stood next to Justine looking uncomfortable.

Erik stood up so he could rise to his full height over Justine. "If I were you Justine, I would worry more about practicing with Andre on your duet in the next Don Carlos performance. You were both off in the last show."

"Yes I know…I couldn't help it Maestro, Catherine was in the audience that night."

"Who?"

"Catherine. I've been seeing her for some time," replied Justine. "She distracted me."

"Wow, you have been seeing her for some time? So you have been seeing her for what? A whole two weeks?" teased Andre.

Erik couldn't help himself. "What happened to the girl with the green eyes?"

Justine grinned. "Oh she is next on my list Maestro. But Catherine is, well, very talented."

Andre rolled his eyes and Erik knew immediately what Justine was talking about. Disgusted that he used women in such a manner, Erik glared at him. "If such a thing can distract you from a performance, then you do not deserve such stardom. It is obvious your lack of true musical spirit. Nothing should distract you when your heart soars with it. If you truly feel the music, it would only enhance your…," Erik paused then grimaced, "your feelings."

"Justine, come with me," said Dion interrupting before he say anything further. Armond was there also, glaring at him.

"What?" asked Justine annoyed at them.

"I think we need to have a discussion about professionalism in the arts," said Armond coolly.

"And if I do not want to have such a discussion?" asked Justine clenching his fists.

Armond shrugged. "It doesn't bother us. Although it might bother a few other women we might talk to."

"You wouldn't."

"No?"

Erik had no idea what they were talking about but he was sure it was something that would interfere with Justine's escapades. He watched as Justine stormed off with Andre, Dion, and Armond following.

He slowly made his way backstage and heard the piano. He knew it was Laurette in the Music room. He walked through the secret passageway and stepped inside the room. Ever so slowly, he came up behind her.

"I am sorry," he whispered into her ear as he leaned down.

She stopped playing and suddenly turned around to look at him. He swallowed hard as he saw the passionate blazing face he had fantasized about earlier. She slowly stood up, her expression softened, and she quite suddenly kissed him. Her lips were velvet soft and her sweet scent was driving him mad. Erik's arms tightened possessively around her. He gave into the sweet agony of his demanding body and shoved aside the piano bench that was between them.

Picking her up into his arms, Erik moved swiftly back to her suite. Once there, he lowered her to the bed and then eagerly joined her. His hands quickly unbuttoned her blouse and he pushed her skirt over her hips. She was trembling, almost frantically pulling him on top of her as her fingers were taking off his clothes. Hunger was beating at him and he tried to hold back, tried to once more touch her with his fingers moving to her most sensitive spot.

She suddenly shoved against him so hard that he rolled onto his back. Then she was on top of him, kissing him, one with him. Erik was so shocked that it actually helped in holding back. But as she suddenly shuddered he swiftly turned her over and let his body surge deeply into hers, bringing him a flood of ecstasy he had been craving for the last week.

Still breathing hard, Laurette smiled. "I think I am much better, don't you?"

"Much," he murmured. He happily nuzzled his lips against her neck. He sighed and cradled her to him.

Over the next few days, Erik allowed his intimacy with Laurette to continue. It was like a drug, addictive and growing. He could not get enough of her it seemed and his hunger for her once more began to allow very little sleep. He consoled himself that he had at least given her a week of recovery. But at the pace he was going, Laurette was sure to relapse. Reluctantly, he finally forced himself to leave her alone every other night. She hated it of course, but it was the only way he could ensure for her to get some rest.

Despite this valiant effort on his part, it was one of these nights that he had left her alone that Erik found he regretted later. He was in the Music Room scribbling down some changes after rehearsal one evening. The door opened and Laurette appeared. But as Erik stood up to warmly greet her, he stopped cold. There behind her was a man he never thought he would be standing before ever again.

The Count de Chagny, Raoul, stood in the doorway.

He wore a fine black suit complete with top hat and cane. He politely took off his hat to reveal his golden thick hair. His face was handsome, the perfectly chiseled features that Erik remembered all too well. The hazel eyes stared at him.

"So it is true," Raoul said quietly, "You are alive."

Erik was so angry that he snapped the pen he was holding as his fingers curled into a fist. This was the man who had stolen Christine from him, had ruined her voice. Black fury engulfed him as Erik now felt it was this man also responsible for what had happened to Laurette. If Christine were still singing, she would not be in the position she was with Monsieur Garier. Erik was deathly still, almost afraid to move as he most likely would give into the demon within him. Erik thirsted for this man's death. A slow, agonizing death with every torturous technique he could think of in his mind.

"Get out," Erik managed to say in a strained voice. It was the only thing he could do to save the man.

"It was Laurette who brought me here," he replied quietly.

_Laurette? _At first, Erik was enraged that he would even dare say her first name; that this man was now going to take her from him just as he had with Christine. Deep down Erik knew this wasn't true, that Christine had made the choice, but he couldn't help himself.

"What?" asked Erik hoarsely. It was taking all his strength to hold himself back from killing the man behind Laurette.

"Please Erik, wait," said Laurette walking up in front of him.

He looked down at her, those beautiful eyes gazing up at him with concern. He wanted to take her into his arms and whisk her away from this man. Erik clenched his jaw.

"What have you done Laurette?"

"We were looking for a solution Erik. Here it is."

_What the hell are you talking about?_ He glared at Raoul. Laurette's small frame was the only thing between him and death.

Raoul cleared his throat, obvious to him that Erik was ready to strike. "If you would please allow me to discuss. I…I have a proposal for you."

"What proposal could you have that I would possibly want to discuss?" asked Erik in a gruff voice. This man had sent his angel to Hell, an innocent child he had molded and raised to heaven. Now she was gone.

Raoul walked slowly in the room and quietly closed the door. Erik watched with narrowed eyes as he walked over to a nearby chair. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

Erik gave no response.

"Well, I am going to sit down."

Laurette reached down and took Erik's hand. Before he knew what was happening, she led him over to an opposite chair. He would look ridiculous now if he refused to sit even though he had no desire to do so. He actually wanted to reach out and choke Laurette. She could not possibly understand the situation.

Still glaring at Raoul, Erik slowly sat down and Laurette stood slightly behind his chair.

"Thank you for taking the time to listen to my position Monsieur," Raoul said quietly.

"If I recall, the last position I had you in would have been to my advantage," replied Erik in a low tone.

Raoul shifted in his chair somewhat in response. "I believe we are here to discuss a solution to Madame Duprey's desire to maintain her directing status."

"_We_ is not a common word yet when it comes to our discussion. And I would suggest not discussing what you know of desire when it comes to Laurette."

Raoul eyed Laurette warily and she placed a hand on Erik's arm. "Please Erik."

Erik responded with a slow, deep breath. It was all he had to restrain himself.

Raoul cleared his throat again and nervously shifted in his chair. "I would like to ask for your help," he said trying a new tactic in their conversation.

"And why would I possibly help you?" snapped Erik.

"You are right of course," said Raoul leaning back in the chair. "But I have to ask, do you want Madame Duprey to continue to sing and wear out her health?"

"It is no business of yours," replied Erik in anger. Laurette's health was already in jeopardy at this point no matter what they did. The doctor had admitted that she would not fully recover.

"I see. So, you wish for her to continue living with Monsieur Garier?"

"She is staying with me," said Erik in a low tone.

"No, she will stay once more with Monsieur Garier. I heard it straight from a friend of mine on the medical board this morning."

"Your friend Doctor Fornier?" asked Erik sarcastically.

"No," said Raoul quietly. "Doctor Charette."

Fear flooded through Erik. He had not seen Doctor Charette in more then a few days. They had not discussed the latest politics when it came to Laurette's care.

"I can try to help," said Raoul gently.

"I thought it was you who needed my help."

"I think we need each other's help," corrected Raoul.

Erik turned his head to look up at Laurette with anger clearly in his eyes. She looked away from him.

"Do not blame her Erik," said Raoul. "I visited her suite the other evening."

_WHAT? God Damn it. _It was the evening he left her alone of course

"I had heard she had once more fallen sick. I stopped by to see how she was doing. Although Christine holds her in ill favor, I do not. If I had not insisted Christine sing here, I know Laurette would most likely still be directing today."

"Exactly," said Erik sharply.

"Yes, well I felt badly about it-,"

"Really? Tell me Raoul, how is it that you can feel so bad when you already coldly took away such a heavenly voice? More then that, you took her innocence," Erik meant this in every sense of the word, physically and mentally.

"You cannot possibly think I am responsible for what has happened to Christine's voice."

Erik laughed bitterly. "No of course not. She sang like an angel when she was with me. It is quite enough for me to clearly see the influence you had on her."

"NO!" Raoul suddenly said raising his voice. "I _love_ Christine."

"I love her too," said Erik quietly. He regretted his remark immediately when he heard Laurette breathe out sharply. He wanted to reach up and comfort her but he would not do such a thing in front of this man.

"I…I wanted her to sing here to remember…to remember how she felt when she was here. I wanted her to recall her love of music. I was trying to help."

"Oh yes, I can see how you helped her quite a bit."

"That is not true," Raoul said angrily.

"What is it that you want from me?" Erik sharply asked. He wanted this conversation to be over. He wanted to bury himself in Laurette's arms and soft curves.

"I know Monsieur Garier quite well. If we were to give him something more, something that would intrigue him more then Laurette, we know he would let her go back to directing only."

"And just what, may I ask, would that be?"

"Christine Daee."

"She no longer exists," replied Erik flatly. "Only the Countess de Chagny remains."

"If…if you were to give her singing lessons once more-,"

Erik abruptly stood up despite Laurette's restraining arm. "To once more be betrayed not only by her but you?" Erik's mind was racing. He would not feel such pain again. His very heart and soul burned to hear Christine's voice again, the Christine he knew. But he could not bring himself to go through it all again.

"No," replied Raoul softly. He stood up. "Only to mend a broken heart. Both yours and mine."

Erik laughed and shook his head. "The music within her is gone. Even I cannot bring that back."

"No!"

Erik turned to look at Laurette as she shook her head.

"You can bring her back Erik. I know you can."

"Laurette-,"

"I _know_ you can," she said with tears in her eyes.

He ached to reach out and hold her. He turned his eyes once more to Raoul. "And then?"

"Return her voice and Laurette will be forgotten by society," he replied.

"Not by me," Erik said. "Unlike you with Christine," he couldn't help add.

Raoul winced. "I would gladly give my soul for her Erik. Christine is my life. She has been unhappy ever since she thought you had died. I must love her enough to admit that," he said harshly.

"Or love her enough to acknowledge she made the wrong choice."

"Why did I even come here?" he muttered in return. Raoul brushed past Laurette to the door.

Laurette looked at Erik with pleading eyes. All at once she was looking at his soul, beckoning him to follow her. The thought of her returning to Monsieur Garier filled him with dread. But he knew Laurette would not be happy if she gave up her dream.

"Fine," said Erik in such a low voice that Raoul almost did not hear.

"Did you just agree?"

"I said yes. Now get out."

Raoul nodded and looked at Laurette.

_Get your damn eyes off of her,_ thought Erik. _She is MINE. _He stood there with his hands still clenched in fists.

"I will arrange for our first visit with you soon then," said Raoul. He bowed his head politely and then he was gone.

"Erik…," Laurette said softly.

He shook his head. "I need to be alone," he said harshly to her. He quickly walked through the mirror and down below.

Torment gripped him in his thoughts. There was no escaping the flood of memories coming back to him. That time was so magical to him. His first true feelings of love for anyone. The madness that overcame him for her. It was all too much to bear.

"Maestro…"

Erik suddenly realized there was a weak voice coming from a passageway in the darkness. He hurried in his pace and then there before him was a young woman.

_Oh God! _It was Nicole!

He could see her in the darkness, slumped against a wall in one of the dark corridors. Erik fell to his knees gathering her limp body into his arms. The trap she stumbled upon had caused a single large spear to pierce her stomach. Blood was pouring from her. Her glassy eyes gazed at him.

"_Nicole, no!_ Why? Why did you come down here?"

"Maestro?" She was struggling to speak.

He could see the life leaving her eyes. "_Nicole! Stay with me_!"

But it was too late. She drew her last breath and became silent. Erik bent over her body and wept. He had killed her! Why did she come down here?

_WHY?_

He got up and staggered to his home. Once up in his room he threw off his mask. His hands holding what was supposed to be his face, Erik sat on the edge of his bed. Everything he touched he ruined. Christine was gone. He only was going to end up somehow hurting Laurette. And now Nicole. Precious, sweet, innocent Nicole. A child.

Gone.

Forever.

As Erik took his hands away from his face he suddenly saw more blood on them, not Nicole's but his own. His face was bleeding once more. How ironic for his own blood to be seen literally on his hands with the death of Nicole. He didn't care. He reached over and retrieved a box. Opening it, he grabbed a handful of a deadly herb and swallowed it.

Something was scurrying by his face. His eyes opened. Nothing was in focus. He blinked once, twice. Then he realized he was on the floor. A rat was bathing his tongue in the pool of blood that seeped onto the floor from Erik's face.

Muttering, Erik roused himself and struggled to sit up. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious. His intent was to die. He seemed to have even messed that up. Erik dragged himself to his bed and lay down. If he just took a little more of the herb…

He heard someone crying.

Laurette!

Had she come down here? He hadn't dismantled anymore of the traps!

Erik abruptly stood up only to curse as he head ached with agony. Grabbing his mask, he steadied himself and made his way to the lake. Walking slowly up the stairs, he could barely glance at the young girl's body lying lifeless on the ground.

The crying was coming from the theater. Erik passed by a few rooms, the windows dark. It was night. He emerged from behind the curtain and found Laurette sitting on the stage crying. Erik staggered over to her and sat down on the stage behind her. He cradled her in his arms. She practically shrieked in reaction.

"Erik! Where have you been? I was so worried!"

"I was only gone for a short time," murmured Erik rather weakly. He could barely move.

"You have been gone for two days!"

Erik looked at her in shock. He said nothing and shook his head.

Laurette wiped the tears from her eyes and took hold of his arm. She dragged him up with her. Erik felt angry at this as he knew she was no way near strong enough in her health to be supporting him. He should be the one taking care of her.

He cursed and cursed.

Laurette ignored him and slowly made her way to her suite. She sat him down on her bed then disappeared into the bathroom. Emerging with a bowl and washcloth, she sat down and began to wipe off his mouth and chin.

"You've been bleeding again," she said softly as she turned her attention to his hands.

"Nicole…"

Laurette jerked her head up. "Have you seen Nicole? She has not been to rehearsal. We've been worried about both of you."

Erik shook his head sadly, his insides ripping with guilt. "She is dead," he managed to finally rasp.

Laurette's face turned white.

"Madame?" It was Armond. "I thought I heard something. We've all been out looking – Maestro!"

"Nicole is dead," said Laurette with tears streaming down her face.

"You found her Maestro? Where is she?"

Erik shook his head. He could not answer.

"It was him again wasn't it? The serial killer? I knew it! I told her she should not be walking home alone so late! But she had wanted to stay and practice…I knew I should have stayed!" Armond began to ramble on in fury.

Laurette forced Erik to lie down and he did so with little protest. He wanted to curl up and just die quietly. He drifted off to sleep, too tired to say anything else. By the time he woke up, word had spread throughout the Company that Nicole was murdered by the serial killer. Guilt strangled Erik as he heard them crying in the theater.

A few days later, the cast insisted on having a memorial service in honor of Nicole. But Erik refused to go with Laurette.

"You are taking her death quite hard," she said softly.

"I just…cannot Laurette."

"It would mean a lot to the Company for you to be there."

Erik shuddered. "No."

"Are you upset that you were out looking for her but did not save her? Like when you did for Philippe?"

Erik just shook his head. He could not answer her. How badly he wanted to tell her the truth but he could not. Telling her would be cause enough for her to leave him. Then where would both of them be?

When the service took place, Erik crept up to Box number five. He stood there, behind the curtain watching. Justine was singing an exceptionally beautiful song. The entire Company was shattered.

Erik had gently moved Nicole out into the street in the early morning hours where the last body from the serial killer had been found. He could not bear to stab her in the nature of the usual pattern of the murderer. Instead he left her wrapped in a warm blanket with a red rose in her hands. The memory of her sweet face would be burned into his soul forever. There was no doubt in his mind as he looked at her that she was now the face of an angel. Erik's face reflected a demon of Hell.

He could not bear to listen to anymore of the service. Erik wanted to be alone and yet he was actually fearful for the first time in his life to go down below. Who would he find dead next? The last few nights he had remained with Laurette, never venturing outside the suite even to eat.

He warily entered Laurette's suite to find Maria laying out clothes.

_His_ clothes.

"I went into town today," said Maria quietly. "I'm fairly certain everything is your size…" Maria paused in an awkward silence. "Please let me know if you need anything," she said quietly and left the room.

Erik only had the desire to crawl into Laurette's bed and remain there for days. But he jumped when he heard a knock at the door.

"Erik?" It was Doctor Charette's voice.

"Yes?"

"Ah, I thought you might be in there. When you are finished dressing, I'll be waiting."

"Waiting?"

"To continue our chess game of course."

Erik certainly did not feel like playing chess. Hadn't the doctor heard of the news? Surely Andre had told him.

"I won't take no for an answer Erik."

He frowned and threw off his old clothes. He walked into Laurette's bathroom and washed. A reflection in the mirror caught his eye. It was a very large closet door that was now open. Turning, Erik was stunned to see a full room full of clothes just for him. Maria had definitely gone shopping. She of course thought it was silly for him to remain down below anyway.

Shaking his head, Erik went back into the bedroom and donned the clothes Maria had laid out for him. They fit perfectly of course. He sighed and walked out into the library.

Doctor Charrette was already sitting at the chess board waiting for him. He smiled as Erik approached. "Good to see you again Erik," the Doctor said softly.

"I am afraid that I do not feel like continuing the game Paul." It was the first time Erik had actually used his name. He remembered the doctor inviting him to use his it when he first met him. In doing so now, Erik felt it would emphasize his point in the matter.

"Yes I know. But if I recall, it is your move. Sit."

"I would rather not."

The doctor looked up at Erik. "I'm calling in the payment you owe me for my care of Laurette."

"I thought you wanted to repay your debt to society."

"This _is_ how I am repaying my debt to society whether you understand it or not Erik. Now move."

Erik narrowed his eyes dangerously but then slowly sat down. He reached down and moved his knight to capture Paul's bishop.

"I didn't say you could make an idiot out of me right at the start of our visit," said the Doctor harshly.

"What do you want Doctor?"

"I told you, to play chess. Well, for me to win at chess if I can help it."

"You know what has happened," said Erik softly.

"Yes."

Silence. Erik studied the doctor's face who was intently staring at the board. He watched as the doctor reached out and moved a pawn.

"Your move."

Erik gave up. Whatever he was here for was not forthcoming. They played in silence for quite some time. That is, except for the groans of defeat coming from Doctor Charette. However, much to Erik's surprise, the doctor played a number of brilliant moves. He was a worthy opponent.

"Damn," said the doctor aloud as Erik cornered his Queen. "Let's play again."

Erik silently assisted him in setting up the board once more. "You be white this time Erik."

"No, I think the current sides are very well matched," said Erik in a low tone. Black represented his soul quite well.

Doctor Charette said nothing in response and moved out a pawn. "I attended the service in the theater for a short time."

Erik looked sharply up at him. It was the first he spoke of the issue. "Is that why you came?"

"No," replied the Doctor. "I did not know Nicole. I briefly attended out of respect to Andre. I came for you."

"She was very talented…and very young," Erik said in a strained voice.

"So I am told."

"She did not deserve to die."

"Does anyone?"

Erik hesitated. "Yes," he replied thinking of Monsieur Garier and Raoul.

"I see…your move Erik."

"You disagree?" He moved a knight forward.

"Those who deserve to die meet their fate before God. That is what I live by Erik. People like Monsieur Garier will someday have their time."

"And someone like Nicole?"

"She will always remain young and talented in our memories. She will be remembered as a young, beautiful girl. What better memory is there?" The doctor moved his bishop.

"I do not see it that way," replied Erik flatly. In anger, he quickly took the doctor's bishop with his knight.

The doctor did not react with any curse or anger. He simply made another move. Erik once again captured a bishop. Again, the doctor made no reaction and moved again. Erik shook his head and captured the doctor's other knight. The doctor silently moved again.

"What are you doing?" demanded Erik. "I have seen you play better then this."

"What am I doing Erik?"

"I have no idea," muttered Erik.

"You said you did not care to play chess. Then why are you so irritated with me now?"

"Because you are not even _trying_ damnit!"

The doctor straightened in his chair and gave Erik a very thoughtful look. It was then Erik understood the reason for his visit. Paul was making him try. He was pushing Erik to try to move forward just like the chess pieces.

"Laurette is worried about you," said the doctor quietly.

Erik clenched his jaw and said nothing.

"She says you've been bleeding."

Erik reached out, took his queen and slammed it down onto the doctor's rook. The piece rolled off the table onto the floor.

"Erik…"

Erik stood up abruptly and walked over to the shelves of books on the opposite wall, studying them for a moment. "Do you know how many books there are here Paul?"

"No, though I would guess quite a few."

"Seven hundred and thirty-six." Erik turned and faced him. "It has occurred to me in these last few days that I was better to society when I read them one by one. For the last two years I've remained hidden away, reading and composing. She has turned my life inside out."

"She is not the first one to do that Erik."

"Christine…," Erik replied softly, "is nothing like Laurette. I had no idea…," Erik's voice trailed off finishing in his thoughts that he had no idea what real love was. The confusion of his love with Christine and now finding Laurette was too much for him.

Doctor Charette stood up and walked around the chair closer to Erik. His eyes were tired looking and worn. But his dark eyes held a steady gaze with Erik, a look of calm understanding.

"Let me examine you Erik."

"It is nothing."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Blood is never a sign of nothing my friend."

Erik laughed. "On my face it is. There is no difference."

"Do you really believe I have not seen my share of horrors in this world as a doctor? I have seen more blood in my lifetime then you have."

Erik gave way to a cruel smile. "Do not speak of what you do not know doctor."

"I think I know more then you can imagine," said Doctor Charrette softly. "Take off your mask Erik."

"No."

"Fine."

The doctor walked back over to the chair in front of the chess set and sat down again. "It is amazing to me how a man of your intellect can swiftly defeat me in chess but has so little brain when it comes to his own health."

"With this face I hardly think it matters," said Erik in a low voice.

"It matters to Laurette. It matters to the Company. They depend on you Erik. And will you let them down?"

"I hardly think a gash on my face will let them down," he replied knowing full well the doctor was trying to coax him still into taking off his mask.

"A gash? That could be quite serious, especially over time."

Erik shook his head.

Doctor Charrette's eyes looked down at the board. "Do you think of me as a friend?"

Erik hesitated. The doctor had been more then kind to him. He knew Paul did not trust him in the beginning but here he was, trying to make him feel better. Not to mention the care he doted on Laurette.

"Yes," answered Erik quietly.

The doctor picked up the rook from the floor. He fiddled with it in his hands. "You asked me why Andre felt the way he did about Doctor Fornier. I still owe you an explanation."

What did this conversation have to do with his face? Erik shifted in his stance for a moment. He finally slowly approached the chair and sat back down ready to listen.

"My sister, Charlotte, was Andre's mother. Her husband drowned in a flood when Andre was very little. Mary and I looked out for them when we could. But I was away when they called for a doctor to treat her. By the time I returned it was too late. Charlotte had been weakened by Doctor Fornier's bleeding method and died."

Erik nodded slowly, now understanding why Andre hated the other doctor so much. "Had she fallen ill while you were gone?"

Doctor Charette shifted uncomfortably in his chair, pursing his lips together while he continued to rotate the rook in his fingers. "No…,"

"I am sorry," said Erik softly. He could see the doctor was quite upset in talking about his sister.

"If you are to trust me to look at your face, then I need to tell you this," said the doctor in a biting tone. He could not seem to look at Erik.

"I do trust you."

"No, you cannot trust me any further then I trust you until I say this."

Erik was puzzled by his words. "What are you talking about?"

"Two years ago Charlotte was injured here at the Opera House…," Paul looked up into Erik's eyes. "…by a chandelier that fell."

If Erik could choose a moment in time to jump from the roof of the Opera House to his death, it was now.

"Her injuries weren't that extensive. She was lucky. But a wound…,"

Erik looked away.

"A glass shard in her leg had become infected. The infection spread throughout her body. Doctor Fornier tried to bleed the infection from her. Andre watched as she was painfully cut open on purpose and bled to death."

Erik looked back at the doctor. "Why are you telling me this?" he demanded. "To tell me what I already know? You said that you have seen more blood in a lifetime. But were you the one responsible for causing it? No doctor. You stop the blood that demons like me work to create."

"I am telling you because I owe it to you," said Paul quietly.

"Oh yes, thank you. That story was much appreciated and helped me even more with the recent death of Nicole."

"Do you not understand?" the doctor said gruffly. "I am as much to blame for her death. Andre doesn't even blame you. At first he did, but then when he got to know you as I have…Erik, I have put aside the monster in our friendship. But the monster was not just you, it was me."

"I think you are greatly confused about who I am."

"No, I think not. Who is the monster here Erik? It is my own reflection for thinking you were pure evil. Now I see what society itself created. I see your soul Erik. And although it is quite tainted in darkness, there is so much more. I've seen it. That soul which reaches out to Laurette and the Company in their need. It is a soul that I know I can now trust."

They sat silent for a moment, both of their eyes studying the chess board. Then Erik pushed the table aside with the chess set and reached back to the ties of his mask. Doctor Charette moved forward in his chair, a look of seriousness on his face. Releasing the ties, Erik's hand trembled as he removed the mask.

It was quite clear that the Doctor was trying very hard not to react, to not look at his face in horror. But Paul's eyes widened and he inhaled a sharp breath. Erik knew in all his years of medical knowledge, the doctor had never seen anything like this.

He cleared his throat and tried to recompose himself as he gazed at Erik's face before him. Paul leaned closer. "Yes, I see. It's bleeding even now." Quickly taking his eyes from Erik's horrid face, Doctor Charrette reached for his bag. "I need to take out the stitches. I'm afraid this will hurt quite a bit."

Erik laughed strangely. "No, it will not."

"Do you mean you cannot feel any-,"

"No. Not on my face. My eyes and mouth are the only areas of my face with any feeling. What you see before you is mostly dead flesh and bone that has no life."

"I see. But it must have some life if it bleeds," he replied quietly.

Erik watched as the doctor took tweezers and pulled out the stitches, followed by several cloths to absorb the blood that freely flowed from the wound. He worked quickly, injecting medicine into the area with a needle followed by some type of cream that he spread onto the wound. Finally, he began to stitch the area once more.

"You actually did an excellent job when you stitched it yourself."

"Not good enough to stop it."

"It is infected. No amount of stitches will hold an infection to one place. It is spreading dangerously. But I think what I've done will help. Where did you learn medicine?"

Erik shrugged. "I have learned quite a bit of knowledge in my lifetime."

"That is obvious as it shows in my lack of skill in playing chess."

Erik grinned then and the doctor smiled. They were interrupted by a loud crash and Erik quickly turned away when he saw Mary standing before him. She had dropped a tea set she was carrying upon seeing his face.

"Leave it," hissed the doctor as Mary tried to pick up the pieces with trembling hands. She fled the room in tears.

With his back to the doctor, Erik replaced the mask on his face then turned back around. "Thank you, I think it is time for us to leave each other now."

Doctor Charrette had what appeared to be somewhat of a sad look on his face. "I'm sorry. I should have locked the-,"

Erik shook his head. "Thank you doctor." He stood up with him and watched as the Doctor gathered up his things.

"I will come back tomorrow."

Erik said nothing but bowed his head slightly. Looking rather upset, Doctor Charrette turned and left to find Mary.

Erik awoke the next morning to see Laurette sleeping peacefully beside him. His heart swelled for a moment at the sight of her. She was so beautiful while he was so hideous. Over the last few days he had completed neglected her while his thoughts consumed him of Nicole.

He slowly got up out of the bed and dressed. He quietly made his way to the dining room. Despite the fact that he had not been there for days, Maria still had a place setting out for him. He slowly sat down and glanced at the newspaper's headlines.

_Serial Killer Changes Manner of Death. _

Erik threw the paper in the nearby fireplace.

"Maestro!"

Erik looked up to see Maria striding toward him. "I am so glad…well, I am glad to see you."

Erik tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement but said nothing.

"Is there anything you need?"

He took a small breath. "Tea."

"Oh! Yes! Of course Monsieur." She hurried into the kitchen as Laurette suddenly appeared in the doorway. She pulled out the chair next to him and sat down. Still filled with remorse, he forgot to even stand up and politely seat her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Erik lied.

Laurette fiddled with her fork. She knew he was lying. "Christine is coming today," she said softly.

_Oh wonderful_, thought Erik bitterly.

"I will not hold you to the visit if you do not wish to do so. I…I have to return to Monsieur Garier's estate in a few days. Doctor Charette told me when he left yesterday."

Erik looked up at her. She wasn't even looking at him. He had completely forgotten about seeking a solution to the situation. He had actually taken for granted that she was with him. Now she would once more be a puppet to Monsieur Garier.

"What time is Christine arriving?"

She actually almost looked hurt when he asked this. He thought it would make her happy as he was agreeing to the plan which may return her to directing. But then he realized she most likely thought he was only thinking of Christine in other ways.

"Laurette…I would do anything for you." He reached out and cupped her chin. It was the first time he had touched her in days. "I want only you. I want you to remain here with me and work on new productions. Laurette…I love you."

Her eyes filled with tears and he immediately reached out to kiss her. Ripples of pleasure suddenly filled him as he tasted her sweet lips. His body was demanding more. She was so soft and smelled incredible. He hungrily pulled her closer to him and would not let go. His hands were beginning to roam down the sides of her body.

Erik stood up and took her hand. Leading her back to the bedroom, he did not even turn his head as Maria came in with his tea. Once the door was closed, he gently cradled Laurette to him, kissing her, giving her the attention she deserved.

No other man would ever have her. He had allowed the relationship to grow deeper with her despite his previous experience with Christine. And now Christine was his only hope in preventing the monster within to kill anyone that came between him and Laurette.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Erik paced the music room while Laurette stood and played with her hair. Christine was already late. He was already having regrets about the plan. How would she react?

"What did Christine say when Raoul told her about this?" asked Erik.

Laurette hesitated. "She…she does not know about you yet."

"_What?_"

"Raoul and I thought, well, it would be too much of a shock to her, that she would not believe him. We thought it would be better if she saw for herself."

"There is by far too much talk of 'we' in you discussions with Raoul. I forbid you to talk with him any further unless you are with me."

"You _forbid_ me?"

"Yes."

Laurette frowned. "Erik, do you forget that I am talking to him so I can be with you?"

"Have you forgotten that I am being patient enough to allow this to continue for your dream?" he said in return.

"That is unfair," she said quietly.

"Is it? I do not think so with what I have had to endure with you away."

"I had to endure it also Erik."

He sighed and sat down at the piano. "I just…we just cannot keep this going much longer Laurette. You are weak and more performances will cause you further illness."

"That is why we are speaking with Christine today." She approached Erik quietly and stood just steps away. "We both want to be together and we both want each other to be happy. Let us give this a chance."

He wanted to lighten the mood as they seemed to discuss too serious of things lately. "No one else can please that mind of yours."

Laurette laughed. "You are sounding like Justine and I know that is not a nice remark," she teased.

"Justine does not have to worry about any woman leaving him with his face," muttered Erik.

"Well I am sure he and Julia will only manage for a short time due to that issue."

Erik looked at her in shock. "What?"

"Justine and Julia."

"I heard you. Are you saying they are…they are together?"

Laurette smiled. "Not yet, but soon they will be. That is why I was not so concerned about Julia's meeting with Monsieur Leduc."

"They hate each other."

Laurette simply continued to smile at him.

Erik shook his head at her. "No, they will not come together. They argue all the time." Laurette's smile widened in response and it was then Erik realized that he argued all the time with her. "No, it is…different between you and me," said Erik trying to justify the situation.

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh?"

"They just cannot..." Erik was feeling at a loss with this perception from Laurette. He had come to think of Julia as a daughter and the thought of her even being touched by Justine made his stomach sick.

"It will not last long even when it does happens," said Laurette. She turned and sat down in a nearby chair.

Erik was most pleased to hear this. "Why?"

She hesitated, her eyes sweeping down to the floor. "You know Justine," she murmured softly. "He cannot be without…," she took a deep breath. "Julia's family is deeply religious."

Erik shrugged. "So it matters if he is not of the same faith?"

"Yes," replied Laurette softly still not looking at him. "Julia will not let herself be…fully with Justine. She will wait until marriage. Aside from religion, it is not, well, proper for a young girl of a good family name to be so intimately involved before marriage."

Erik straightened for a moment sensing her discomfort. "Men in society are expected to have experience before they marry while women are not. I hardly think that is fair." He hoped this would soothe her as he knew she was experienced. He was still dying to know if it was in fact Monsieur Rosseau that was her first love, but he refrained from asking something that was so personal.

"Women are looked down upon if they are intimate before marriage," she said quietly.

Erik had a fleeting memory of the young girl he was with that one lonely night. Laurette was right. Society only scorned women who were too direct in their physical feelings.

"I do not," he said quietly. She smiled briefly at him, her eyes finally looked at him but then away again as they were filling with tears. "Laurette, come here," he said softly. When she did not, Erik stood up and walked over to her. He pulled her up from the chair and into his arms. He bent down and kissed her long and hard. Framing her face with his hands, he pulled away and looked at her. "You will always be mine. It does not matter what anyone else thinks. Do you understand?"

She nodded and pulled away from him to quickly wipe her eyes. "Christine does not know about us," Laurette said as she walked away from him, purposefully putting some distance between them.

"I am sure Raoul told her."

"No," replied Laurette. "We agreed that it would be best for Christine not to know."

"There is that 'we' word again. Do I have any say in our relationship?"

"While I do trust Christine to keep _your_ secret Erik, I do not trust her to keep our relationship quiet to the Company, even though the backstage gossip is already guessing at such a thing."

"Maybe we should just be open to them about it." It was the first time he had brought this subject up with her. He hadn't ever been quite sure how to approach the topic.

She smiled. "And you will stand before the Company and confess that you love me?"

He knew she had a point. Neither of them shared their private feelings or emotions with them. It was a professional boundary even though both of them were becoming too attached to so many that were dedicated to them. Erik understood but did not want Laurette to think he would not do such a thing.

"If you wanted me to, I would," he said quietly.

She was about to say something when a woman's voice was heard. "Honestly! I do not know why you had to drag me back here! I told you that I…"

The door opened and Christine suddenly stood before Erik. Her face turned white at the sight of him and she immediately fainted before Raoul even had a chance to completely catch her. She hit the floor rather hard with Raoul scrambling to ease her fall.

Erik looked at Laurette.

"That went rather well."

She frowned in response and hurried over to help Raoul who was desperately trying to pick her up. Erik shook his head, walked over to them, and swiftly picked up Christine in his arms away from Raoul. _This is what I should have done a few years ago, _he thought bitterly as he placed her on the nearby chaise. If he had known this was going to be the outcome, he certainly would have kept her his prisoner. Raoul unexpectedly pushed Erik aside to get to Christine. It was all Erik could do not to hit the man.

"Christine?" Raoul asked with a worried voice. He touched her face, caressing her cheek with his fingers.

Her eyes fluttered open. She seemed disoriented but then focused on him. "Oh Raoul…I had a terrible dream. I thought I saw-,"

And then Christine shrieked when she saw Erik. Before anyone could stop her, Christine scrambled off the chaise and ran to the door.

"_Christine."_

She stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of Erik's voice, her hand on the door knob. Raoul had quickly come up behind her. "Christine, it is alright my love. Please…calm down. Let me explain."

Ever so slowly Christine turned around to face Erik. He studied her for a moment. Her hair was elegantly swept up, her earrings were like diamond tears, and she wore a sage dress of exquisite silk. Her face, although white from seeing him, was still quite youthful in appearance. She was several years younger then Laurette, most likely near Julia's age. Her brown eyes stared at him in terror. Erik's gaze fell to her finger that displayed a glittering large diamond wedding band.

"Christine," said Raoul continuing, "Please do not be angry. Laurette and I thought-,"

"Laurette?" Christine's eyes suddenly shifted to where Laurette was standing. Her face changed immediately to a harsh look. "How _dare_ you!" Christine hissed.

"No Christine, it was my idea as well…," said Raoul.

She fixed her gaze once more at Erik then angrily looked at Raoul. "Why? Why are you doing this to me? Who is this? Are you trying to play some game with me Raoul?" She started to cry.

"Christine," Raoul murmured softly and he took her into his arms. Erik clenched his jaw and looked at Laurette. He wanted to grab her and run.

Christine pushed away from Raoul and looked at Erik. "_No!_ _Who are you?_"

"You know who I am Christine."

She shook her head wildly. "_No, no – you are dead. No, this cannot be happening! Stop this!_" Christine was becoming hysterical. Crying, she tried to get away from Raoul who was still tightly holding her. Without warning, she suddenly wrenched free but he was too quick and grabbed her once more. She began to scream.

"_Christine!_"

She stopped screaming at the sound of Erik's melodic tone and sobbed into Raoul's arms.

"Please," said Laurette quietly, "if you would take just a moment to listen. I know this is painful for you but-,"

"You know _nothing _about my pain!" Christine spat at Laurette. "Is this how you now mock me? That you are trying to prove how much better you are because _he_ has been teaching you?"

"You are wrong Christine," said Erik harshly. "Laurette's voice had nothing to do with me. Her natural talent easily surpasses what was once your same gift."

Christine stared at him. Her face was a mess at this point, tears had streaked her make-up but she did not seem to be in the mind to care. "I-I am a well known soprano now."

In response, Erik slowly tilted his head and stared at her with narrowed eyes. "I had hoped you would be known for your voice, a talent you could share with the world. But I can see now that is not true."

"It has been difficult for me," she whispered.

Erik looked at Raoul almost in triumph.

"We want to help," said Laurette quietly.

"I do not want your help!" Christine coldly said to her.

"Fine," replied Erik. He walked toward the secret mirror.

"Erik…"

He stopped and turned to Laurette at the sound of her voice. Those damn blue eyes were pleading with him, looking right into his soul again. He swore under his breath and remained in the room.

Laurette looked back at Christine. "You have a far better voice then me," she said quietly. "You visited my stepfather's opera house a few years ago. I have never heard such a voice. I could never even hope to match such beauty."

"Christine," said Raoul softly, "Although I know you would not admit it, I know how upset you were when Madame Duprey sang in your place."

"And what do you get out of this?" Christine demanded with narrowed eyes at Laurette.

"To direct again. That is my dream."

Christine laughed bitterly. "Monsieur Garier will not let me sing again even to prove I am worthy."

"He craves publicity," Raoul said. "If we give him no choice and you out sing Madame Duprey in front of an audience, he will have to let you become leading soprano once more."

Christine slowly turned her head and looked at Erik as he had said nothing further. "And what is it that you want? Why do you do this?"

Laurette looked nervously at him and Erik knew she was worried about revealing their relationship. "So I can restore the beauty of music once more," he said trying to sound sincere. But he knew his eyes were looking at Christine with coldness.

"And nothing more?"

He knew she was referring to the possibility of keeping her with him again.

"No."

"How can I be sure of that? You can easily control me as you have done before. I am…frightened of what can happen."

"I allowed you to make your choice," Erik said. Now it was Raoul who looked at him with a triumphant face. God, it was all he could do to control his anger and not throw him to the floor.

Christine was silent. Erik knew if she agreed that it would be her admitting that her voice was once more in need of his help. He knew she cringed to admit such a thing in front of Laurette.

"Or you can choose once more to return to a life without feeling," said Erik in a low mocking tone that he knew Raoul would hear.

"You think I was wrong in my choice?" Christine asked with a challenge in her voice.

Erik saw Laurette shudder. "There is no need for me to say anything with the position you are now in," he said while placing his hands behind his back.

"My life is more then just music…unlike yours."

He winced at her words and anger welled up within him. She had been a mere student that he had brought forth in natural talent. She would have been nothing without him.

They stared at each other in anger. Raoul and Laurette looked at them nervously.

"Fine," said Christine suddenly, "But only for Raoul."

"If your wish is to not to choose for yourself, then so be it."

Christine's face turned from white to red. "I made my decision long ago. I chose Raoul."

Erik's jaw clenched. He could not take much more of this. Laurette stepped quietly toward him. "When can you begin lessons with Erik?" she asked softly to Christine.

"Tomorrow morning," replied Raoul before she could respond.

"I have a brunch I must attend," she said looking at him.

"Then tomorrow evening."

"No, that is the opening of the art museum."

"Christine…"

She turned and looked at Erik. "I can come twice a week depending on my schedule."

"Twice a week is hardly worth my time Christine." Not to mention Laurette had very little time. The quicker he could get Christine's voice back to an angel, the sooner Laurette would be back at the Opera House.

"I think you should come every other day," said Raoul with a firm voice. "It is best for you to stay away from such social events for a while."

Christine looked at him with shock. "You cannot tell me what to do."

"I thought you said you chose because of Raoul," Erik said with a mocking tone again.

Christine straightened to her full height as if she were ready to win a challenge suddenly. "Tomorrow morning at eight."

Erik shook his head. "I have rehearsal with the Company."

Christine's eyes widened in response. "You mean, they…they know about you?"

Raoul was about to speak but Erik commented first. "Do you possibly think that they would be where they are today? How can someone that knows the Opera world so well be so naïve? Surely you know Laurette cannot direct from a distance."

"From a distance?"

Erik took a breath. She did not know Laurette's situation fully it appeared which surprised him as he would have thought she would have heard from all the females talking in Paris.

"Monsieur Garier is using her at his estate for his personal engagements. She is away for weeks at a time."

"I will be here for another few days Erik," said Laurette softly. "Let me continue Justine's lessons and I will begin rehearsal."

This was not something Erik wanted to agree to. She already was looking more pale then usual and she always looked tired. But she was looking into his eyes. He finally relented with a nod.

Raoul bowed curtly at Erik and reached to kiss Laurette's hand in the customary manner. In response, Erik stepped forward but then restrained himself when he saw Christine looking at him in question. Raoul was wise enough not to linger and quickly took Christine out the door. Erik wearily sat down on the piano bench.

Laurette approached and sat down beside him. She caressed the ivory keys with her fingers. He suddenly reached out and held her wrist. She tried to pull away but Erik already could clearly see the tremors in her fingers.

"It is nothing," she said quietly as he reached for her other wrist. Both hands were trembling.

"When did this start?" he demanded.

"I don't…Erik, I am so tired. Please."

She was already becoming more ill. Laurette would not last much longer with the demands Monsieur Garier would be placing on her once more to sing. But before he could say anything, Laurette gently took her hands away from him and began to play the piano. It was the slow, gentle song she had always played.

Erik sat quietly listening for a few moments, letting the notes fill him. Then he reached out and began to play with her, adding his own notes as he accompanied her in the song. It was beautiful. And for a sweet moment, Erik and Laurette thought of nothing else but the music that surrounded their souls, bringing them together as they were meant to be.

The next day Erik sat quietly at the breakfast table as Justine raved about his latest conquest which was the girl with green eyes. Now knowing Laurette's perception about him and Julia, Erik no longer could listen with any hidden humor.

Laurette smiled sweetly at Justine. "Well, we shall see how she has influenced your focus. I will be leading you in your lesson this morning."

"Really? Wonderful! Not that the Maestro hasn't been helping me. It's just that I missed our sessions together. I learned so much from you as a mentor."

Erik was picturing Justine's head being served underneath one of the covered dishes when Dion walked in.

"Excuse me, I am sorry to intrude."

"No," said Erik warmly, "Justine does it all the time."

"Which is lucky for him," mumbled Justine with his mouth full of food, "Otherwise his life would be so boring."

"I can only dream of that day Justine."

Justine laughed. "Dion! I didn't get to tell you yet. Guess who I saw last night?"

Dion rolled his eyes. "I could care less."

"Yes you do. I saw you watching her. I bet I could put in a few words for you."

"You just said you were with her last night!"

"So?"

"Justine, you are truly a son of-," Dion paused realizing the conversation had gone too far in front of Erik and Laurette. "Madame, I understand that you'll be starting the rehearsal. I was wondering if we could start at the beginning of Act two."

"Where are you going to be?" Justine suddenly asked looking at Erik.

He frowned. "Working on a plan to have Madame Duprey back to directing."

Justine raised an eyebrow. "Really? So what method have you chosen to kill Monsieur Garier?"

"Shut up Justine. Get up and let's go," said Dion.

"No, really. That's the only way you know."

Erik tilted his head at Justine. "I could only wish."

"I think it is time to go," muttered Dion again.

"So what are you doing?" asked Justine ignoring him.

Laurette sighed. "The whole Company will most likely know within the hour so I do not see why we should keep it a secret. The Maestro is going to give Christine voice lessons in the hope that she will return as the leading soprano."

"No!" Justine started laughing. "The Countess de Chagny? You have to be kidding."

Erik looked at Dion with a clear sign that Justine was seconds away from death. Dion grabbed Justine by his arms and jerked him up out of the chair.

"Hands off!"

"If you do not follow me right now I swear I will tell Catherine that you weren't sick last night, which is why she thinks you could not meet with her so you could be with that other girl."

"DIOS!"

Maria overheard the conversation as she came from the kitchen. She strode over to Justine, grabbed him by his hair and dragged him out of the room with Dion following.

Laurette was trying to swallow her laughter but Erik was not amused. "I'm sorry Erik. You have to admit they do bring humor into our world."

"I see little humor in it now that I know Justine and Julia could be together. Last night was a perfect example of how he treats women."

"Will you stop thinking about what I said? It may not even happen."

"You think it will and you are usually right…sometimes," he added.

"I was just about to remind you that you usually argue with me as you think I am wrong," she teased.

The clock was chiming and Erik sighed as he knew the time had come. Laurette smiled. He got up and bent down to kiss Laurette. She looked at him lovingly which made this entire tirade worth everything.

Entering the music room he sat down at the piano and waited. But as the minutes passed, Erik became extremely agitated.

There was finally a knock at the door and Raoul appeared with Christine.

"You are late," said Erik in a low voice.

Christine, wearing a pale yellow satin gown which seemed to have a very low cut neckline glared at him. "It is not my fault that my servant took so long in helping me this morning," she snapped back.

"Yes, God forbid you would dress yourself."

"How dare you! I am here to discuss music, not my dressing habits."

Raoul closed the door and Christine suddenly looked at him in alarm. "You are not staying are you?"

Erik held back a mocking smile as Raoul widened his eyes. "You want to be with him…alone?"

"Please Raoul…," She suddenly took a deep breath. "I have to do this on my own." She said it so quietly Erik was certain she was hoping he did not hear.

Raoul narrowed his eyes at Erik who returned the same glare. He then gave Christine a full kiss right in front of him as if to make sure he left his mark. "I will be back in an hour then."

After he had left, Christine took off her cape and placed it on a nearby chair. Now Erik was even more distracted as he could see even more of her feminine curves in the dress. It was almost as if she wore something that fit fairly tight on purpose. Not that he would betray Laurette. He could not even imagine such a physical relationship with Christine now. But with the exception of his face, he was still a man that could clearly see such physical enticement.

"Well?"

"We will start with scales for your warm-up."

Christine rolled her eyes. "I rarely need to do that anymore."

"That is obvious."

She glared at him. Erik ignored her and selected a key on the piano. When she began to sing, he stopped.

"You are not breathing properly."

She looked flustered for a moment.

"You must stand properly. You are forcing the air out through your vocal chords. You are not using the full extent of your diaphragm."

"Yes I am."

Erik stood up and walked toward her. She stiffened, thinking he was going to touch her but he strode right past her. Smiling to himself, he actually enjoyed her nervousness around him. She needed _some_ powerful figure of a man in her life.

Opening a drawer in a nearby table, he took out a small candle and lit it. He walked back over to Christine and handed it to her.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Her voice was very condescending as if all of this was beneath her.

"Hold the candle out with a straight arm."

She frowned, but did as he commanded.

"Now, take a breath and see how long you can blow at the flame, making it flicker but not go out."

"This is ridiculous," she muttered.

Her first attempt blew the flame right out. Erik patiently lit the candle again. Her next attempt flickered the flame but for only a few seconds before she quickly ran out of breath.

"Use your abdominal muscles for more control Christine."

Frowning, she put her hand to her stomach, something he had taught her long ago to feel the muscles. She concentrated and attempted the exercise once more. The candle flickered for a moment longer.

"Practice," Erik said taking the candle from her. "Every moment of the day. You remember the breathing exercises I taught you?"

"Yes," she said softly.

"Then use them. Always. Even an experienced singer must always perform breathing exercises." He sat back down at the piano and selected a key. "Sing three octaves of the A scale."

She sighed and did so.

"Now three octaves of A sharp."

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"What? Teaching you how to remember the basics that you have so easily forgotten?"

"I have not forgotten."

"Really? Is that why you are selecting mid range octaves then?"

"You think I cannot reach the upper register?"

"No. Nor do I do want you to even attempt to do so. You will overstretch your voice and ruin your vocal chords." Erik shifted on the bench. God this was going to be impossible. To his dismay he realized he was starting again all over with her.

"The B scale next," Erik insisted.

She sang and he stopped her. "Stop tensing your neck and shoulders when you sing."

"I'm not!"

"Look in the mirror when you sing."

She tried again and Erik stopped her. He got up and walked behind her which made her even more tense. "Relax," he said softly placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I am trying," she said with a strained voice. She sounded on the edge of tears.

"Sing."

She began again and Erik held her shoulders softly but it seemed to make her only jump.

"Christine, close your eyes."

"No!" She whirled around at him. "I do not like what you are trying to do!"

Erik eyed her warily. "What are you talking about?"

"This is exactly what happened…before."

Erik shook his head. "I have no other purpose then to restore the beauty of your voice."

"How can I believe that?" she whispered.

Erik sighed and was fully tempted to tell her that he loved Laurette. But as he watched Christine, he knew Laurette was right. Her unpredictable behavior might suddenly cause her to spread vicious rumors among the cast and out in society. None of the cast liked her, but women would always spread anything. Erik had worked too hard to gain their trust in him that he had built so carefully.

"Trust," he said quietly back to her.

"I think that is something little we have with each other. You are still angry at my choice."

"Any man who takes away such a beautiful voice and sense of herself is not worthy of my trust."

Christine's eyes blazed. "Don't you dare blame Raoul!"

"No? Who then? I find it hard to believe that you alone became so lax in your singing skills. No doubt singing was never something he thought you should have as a career."

"There is nothing wrong with wanting a family," Christine said. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

"There is something wrong if you place music behind everything else."

"Stop it Erik! You are making me feel so…unworthy in your presence. I deserve to be treated better then this with our past relationship and you know it!"

"Then practice Christine. And then perhaps I will consider treating you better."

She fled from the room, slamming the door behind her.

Erik was seething in anger. He wanted to break every damn mirror in the room. She was arrogant, childish. Despite the fact he already knew this from witnessing her in rehearsal, Erik secretly had hoped that when the two of them were alone it would trigger something deep within her. He was wrong and now it seemed worse.

Taking the cloak Christine had forgotten he made his way back to the library. Once there he found Maria and instructed her to send it to Christine. He sat in a chair listening to the echoing sounds of rehearsal. He was too angry to be in front of the Company. His hands gripped the arms of the chair.

"Erik?"

He looked up and saw Laurette standing there before him. It came to him that she was the one thing that could soothe him. He wanted the pure feeling of happiness once more, not these dark thoughts that now filled him.

Erik stood up and cupped her chin. Her eyes looked into his with complete trust, something Christine would not give him. He kissed Laurette's lips hard and his hands sought the softness of her skin on her shoulders. But she had worn one of her fairly plain dresses that revealed little skin other then her neck. His thoughts went to the cleavage Christine had shown.

_Damnit! How could you think of such a thing? _

He cursed out loud and then roughly shackled Laurette's wrist, leading her into the bedroom. Once there he quickly untied Laurette's dress and threw it on the floor with her corset quickly following. His hands sought her warm and inviting breasts as he lowered her to the bed. He wanted to bury himself into pure feeling, this feeling of such physical passion. It was like a drug to him that he would never be able to escape from its addiction.

Laurette's fingers caressed the back of his head as he continued his search for his own pleasure. He stopped for a moment and looked up at her. She wasn't breathing hard or trembling. She was obediently giving him whatever he wanted at the moment as she sensed this is what he needed. He would not have such a thing.

Erik reached up and began kissing the corners of her mouth with infinite gentleness. His hands turned into tender caresses, slowly feeling their way along her face, neck, and breasts. He heard her breathing increase and he captured her mouth with his. Erik felt satisfied when he finally felt her straining against him, urging him for more.

She wanted him. It was amazing to him that this woman wanted him. It was the only way he could have it. She was the light to his darkness and he reveled in the sweeping desire overcoming both of them.

He gave her what she wanted, what they both wanted. Erik softly and slowly kissed her lips while he took great pleasure in her desperately pulling him to her. She let out a sharp breath with his invasion and he fed the fire building within her until he felt her trembling, clinging to him. He wanted it to last forever. But reality came back soon after he collapsed on top of her, trying to catch his breath.

He rolled off her, taking her into his arms. Thoughts of Christine were now torturing him in his head. Regret at what he had done in his madness and regret that he did not kill the Raoul.

Laurette slowly raised her head to look at him. "I knew your first lesson with her would not last long so I told Gautier to direct," she said softly.

He said nothing and focused his attention to his fingers caressing her lips, trying to erase any trace left of Monsieur Garier touching her.

"I have to leave tomorrow."

Erik froze and looked into her eyes. He suddenly shifted their positions quickly with her underneath him once more. He had to have a feeling of dominance in the situation.

"Say no to him."

"Erik…,"

"You are too popular for him Laurette. He won't let you go. You can demand that the Company has to remain with the same members for you to cooperate."

"There is no one else who will match his expectations in singing. He does not care. He would rather take the publicity of firing me then to give into me. There is no one else."

"I find that hard to believe."

Laurette reached up and touched the mask on his face. "Marguerite Merentie is touring Europe. She has no desire to return to Paris. The only other voice would be Maria Kunetsova of Russian descent who is in Sweden. While I know she will return one day, it will be on her own accord and not because of some arrogant Opera House owner."

"Please…" It was the first time he felt like he was actually begging her for anything. He could not bring back the voice of Christine Daee.

"You can do this Erik."

Anger once more coursed through his veins. "Your health is already ruined Laurette! What does it matter? You will be worked to death even if you were to go back to directing!"

"At least I would die doing something I love," she said quietly. Erik released her and sat up. He felt her raise up behind him. "All my life I have worked so hard for something. Directing is my life. You are my life. That is all I want."

"You do not want much do you?"

She kissed his neck. "You want something besides just me Erik."

He turned his head and looked at her. "There is nothing else besides you."

"There is your own music…with Christine."

He turned away from her.

Insistent, she made her way in front of him. "In all your life Erik, what was your greatest accomplishment?"

He shook his head. "Only you," he said with a strained voice. He knew what she was getting at but did not want to admit it.

"I am not an accomplishment Erik. I am your other half, your soul mate. It is not the same."

"I cannot."

_Christine is lost._

"You will find her."

Erik sharply looked up at her. Had she just read his mind? Impossible.

Her eyes held his steadily. "It is not just for me," she said softly, "It is for yourself."

Erik reached out and embraced her, burying his mask in her sweet scented hair, bunching it in his fingers. "I love you Laurette."

It was as if he had to justify the issue. God help him that he still loved Christine and Laurette knew it. It was not the same love as he held for her. But Laurette was right, he wanted to amend what had gone wrong. He could not leave this world until he did this. There had been no purpose in his life except now. He tightened his arms around Laurette, wishing he could savor the feeling forever.

By the next day Erik found himself making his way to the theater through the secret corridors. Laurette was now gone and the emptiness consumed him once more. Worse, Laurette had been told before she left that a new production must take place for some special guests coming in a few months. Opera was no longer a season but a full year. Erik had to think of what production would be a reasonable expectation but fascinating enough to please Monsieur Garier.

Maria had given him a message that Christine would return after rehearsal today. His heart sank deep at the thought of it. He was still trying to figure out how to find her voice.

"Well you have seen how he looks at her."

"Oh Celine, stop it."

He distinctively heard giggling and stopped to peer backstage from his hidden place. A group of chorus girls and dancers stood in a tight circle.

"Madame Duprey is in love with Monsieur Rosseau, not the Maestro."

Erik smiled.

"But Sara, even you have to admit they seem to be together all the time when she is here."

"He is just as much as director as she is! Of course he has to be with her!"

A girl named Melanie shook her head. "Why is it such a concern to you anyway?"

Celine scoffed. "Oh right, as if you all can pretend not to wonder."

"Well maybe I have thought of it," said Chantel. The girls looked at her and she flushed. "Oh stop! Come on, you have to agree with Celine. What other reason would he be helping her?"

"Rumors say his only love is music. That is why."

"That may be true as we've seen in his directing style, but there _could_ be something more."

"And just what secrets are you girls sharing today?" asked Justine with Andre walking up to them.

"Celine thinks Madame Duprey and the Maestro are…seeing each other."

"What?" asked Andre. "That's silly. Tell them it isn't true Justine."

Justine remained silent.

"Oh my God," whispered Sara, "It is true!"

"I did not say it was!" snapped Justine.

"Come on," muttered Andre. "We better start warming up before he arrives."

Erik shook his head. Laurette was right. The cast was already guessing at their relationship. Things seem to be coming apart.

Erik emerged and walked over to Joseph who was madly flipping through half a dozen scores. He had already heard they needed something new and he was trying to look for something in the existing archives they had.

Before he could say something, Dion and Armond quickly walked up to Erik. "We have a problem," said Dion.

"A serious one," said Armond nodding.

Nothing could possibly get worse at this moment. "What?" asked Erik.

"Well, we had to fire Vincent yesterday."

Erik knew this was one of the backstage workers but other then that, he really did not know the man. "Why?"

"He, um, was selling…things."

"He was stealing?"

"Well…sort of." Dion and Armond looked at each other uncomfortably.

"Tell me," demanded Erik tired of them wasting time.

Dion sighed and held before Erik a book.

"What is this?" He looked at the title. _The True Story of Laurette Duprey by Vincent Tessier._

"He's been recording everything down. We had no idea he was going to try and be a spy to sell a story. And it has you in it," said Armond nervously scratching his head.

"How many of these books are out there?"

"Well, we think we have most of the copies that he created. But he was talking to a publisher. We have to be even more careful. It's making us feel uneasy and he did not leave without swearing he'd make our secret known somehow."

"Do you really think anyone would believe him?" asked Joseph. "Sometimes I don't believe it."

Erik flipped through the pages and his eyes landed on a very detailed physical description of Laurette. He was not amused. "Burn it," said Erik handing it back to Dion.

He brushed past them and walked over to Justine who was sitting on the stage with his legs dangling over the edge and whispering to a giggling chorus girl. Seeing him approach, her face became serious.

"Maestro, good morning," said Justine.

"You were not here early this morning Justine," said Erik in a low tone.

"I thought I was just continuing my lessons with Madame Duprey, especially since you now have your prized pupil back."

The chorus girl wisely edged away from him.

"Start at the beginning of the third act," said Erik narrowing his eyes dangerously at him.

"M-M-Maestro?"

Erik looked down and saw one of the dancers before him with blonde hair and enormous blue eyes. It was Melanie. She had never even spoken to him before.

His eyes softened. "Yes?"

"I would like, well, I thought I could try to, I mean, I know I could never replace her of course but we do need someone…I mean I could try."

Erik was trying to follow the girl as she rambled on with nervousness but remained confused. "Try what?"

"Well, choreographing the dancing as needed."

Memories of Nicole flooded Erik for a moment and he was at a loss for words.

"So are you going to answer her?" asked Justine when Erik did not seem to respond. The girl looked like she was about to cry as it took all her nerve just to ask such a thing.

Justine's voice brought Erik back from his thoughts to annoyance. "I suggest you go warm up," he said giving him another glare. Justine shrugged and jumped down off the stage to make his way to Joseph.

Erik turned his attention back to Melanie. "Do the other dancers know you are asking me this?"

She looked apprehensively behind her as a cluster of them stood together pretending to warm up but watching. They quickly looked away as she turned her head at them.

"Y-y-yes."

"And they agree?"

"Well, yes…no one else wants to do it really."

"Then why you?"

She suddenly noticed her ballet shoe was coming loose and sat down to lace it more tightly around her ankle. "I thought I would just…try. I never thought about it until Nicole…," She seemed relieved to be able to do something rather then looking at him but her hands were actually trembling.

"He won't bite you know."

Erik was actually happy to see Julia appear. She looked quite pretty today with her hair down, the golden strands flowing down below her shoulders. "Well, I know he can look that way," she said, "but I promise you he is quite sweet."

_Sweet?_

A slow smile spread across Julia's face and Melanie started to giggle. Julia had released the tension easily. Erik could not help himself and grinned at the attention of two pretty girls. He never would have even imagined such a thing in his life.

"I have been called many things, but sweet has never been one of them."

"I could think of a few things," muttered Justine walking by. He was headed back to the stage as Gautier directed him to get ready for the song.

"Keep going Justine," said Julia tossing her hair into his face as she turned her attention back to Melanie. Erik held his breath as he knew Justine was going to react. Justine, of course, did not let him down.

"I don't see a rock on your finger from Monsieur Leduc. What is wrong Julia? Do you lack the necessary talents to captivate such a man? None of the other women he continually sees seem to be at a loss for his needs."

Julia's face turned red. Erik grabbed Justine by the arm and roughly led him toward the stage. "You are wasting time. Get going," said Erik harshly as he gave a final push.

Justine rubbed his arm where Erik grabbed him. "He's not so sweet now is he Melanie?" He smiled at Erik and walked to the stage knowing the damage was done. Melanie looked back down and returned to her trembling.

_Damn it!_ Erik's mind thought of multiple torturing techniques to try on Justine.

He quietly sat down next to Melanie who shifted uncomfortably with him so close. Erik's eyes were on her fiddling with the ties of the ballet shoe. "You should not wrap the ribbon above your ankle."

Astonished, she looked up at him. "What?"

"Keep the ribbons close together _around_ your ankle for support. In fact, if you tie them with your foot in a flat, slightly flexed position, it won't cut off your circulation."

She reached down and did what he instructed, finally tying off the ribbons in a knot.

Erik reached out and undid the knot. "Always tie the knot on the inside of your ankle and not in the back. It will place less pressure on your tendon that way." He finished securing the ribbon and straightened back up to find her staring at him.

"Why, I mean, how would you know anything about ballet shoes?" asked Melanie.

Erik had witnessed hundreds of dancers when the Opera Populaire was at its finest. The dancers could talk endlessly about the type of shoes they wore and what worked best. It was a topic he could not forget even if he wanted to.

"He knows about everything when it comes to the Opera world," said Julia with a smile.

Melanie stood up slowly and tested the shoe, rising up on her toe. "I have to admit it feels much better. But I can see that perhaps I am too naïve for you now to be composing dance scenes."

Erik stood up. "Tying ballet shoes has nothing to do with the talent you may have to create the moves for a dance sequence. I will rely on you to do so."

Melanie gave a shy smile in response and happily walked back to the dancers. Julia beamed at him and walked up onstage. She quickly put her foot out slightly as Justine took a small step backwards. He was so involved in his conversation with Andre he didn't notice her. He stumbled over her foot and then landed on his backside.

Erik broke into a smile. Julia kept walking, ignoring Justine's piercing eyes of anger. Maybe today wasn't so bad after all…

"There!" cried a man pointing at Erik.

Looking up, Erik saw the man called Vincent in the theater motioning to another man who was just appearing inside the theater door. Erik quickly disappeared through a trap door near the stage before the man could see him.

"Get out Vincent," growled Armond.

Erik was now underneath the floor in a tight space. But he could hear everything.

"I tried to stop him! I'm sorry!" Erik recognized the voice of one of the lookouts at the theater doors.

"You saw him!" yelled Vincent.

"Saw what?" asked Dion.

"The Opera Ghost!"

"What the Hell are you talking about?" asked Maurice.

"You saw him!"

"Well, no, I didn't see anything," said the voice of a man Erik did not recognize.

"He was right there!"

"You mean Gautier?" asked Chantel.

"No, no…the man who was directing."

"You mean Gautier," said Melanie.

"No, damn you. They are all lying!"

Silence. Erik remained deathly still, barely breathing in his hiding place.

"The story is a little hard to believe," admitted the man. "But I also have to admit that it's also hard to believe Gautier has been directing. No offense Gautier, but you do not have the experience to put together such productions."

"Madame Duprey writes to me constantly."

"That is not what I hear. Monsieur Garier assured me he has stopped all her correspondence."

Erik held his breath, unsure of what they would say in response.

"Ok, fine," Erik heard Justine mutter. "It has been me."

"What?"

_What?_

"I've been the one helping to smuggle in Madame Duprey's letters to Gautier. I mean, it is ridiculous to think she is sending love letters to Monsieur Rosseau. How do you think we could accomplish this?"

"No, no he is lying!"

"And just how were you smuggling them in?" asked the man's voice.

"Just admit it Justine," Erik heard Andre's voice. "He may as well know."

"Ok, ok. I was seeing one of his servants."

"And she brought you the letters?"

"Yes."

"He is lying!"

"Vincent," Erik heard Justine's voice, "What the Hell are you trying to say?"

"The Maestro, the Opera Ghost…,"

"Oh good God, a ghost directing? It would have been a more realistic story if you had said it was Monsieur Rosseau. But I guess you had to make up something even more outlandish such as that."

Erik felt Justine jump from the stage right down on top of the floor he was under, his feet purposefully slamming down hard. "I can see how that would be intriguing with all the opera ghost stories of the past. Some disfigured, ugly _old_ man who fell for some spoiled diva. Please…as if any woman would fall for someone with a face of such horror."

Erik clenched his jaw and imagined Justine begging for mercy as he dangled him from the roof of the Opera House.

"I've heard enough Vincent."

"They are lying! Come back with me another time!"

"There won't be another time," said Maurice with a low voice.

"Get out!" shouted Andre.

Erik heard nothing for a few moments and then heard the theater doors slam, the entire Company sighing with relief.

"Maestro?" asked Julia's voice.

Warily Erik climbed out of his hiding space and stood up.

"I'm sorry," said Justine walking up to him with a grin, "It was just too hard to resist temptation knowing you were under there."

The Company stood silent, fearing the wrath that Erik was ready to unleash on him. But then Julia couldn't help herself and started to laugh. She put her hand to her face trying to control herself and the dancers began to giggle.

Erik gave way to a smile but tried to keep his glaring eyes on Justine. After all, they had kept their promise and hidden him, keeping his secret, their secret, even Justine, although he hated to admit to such a thing.

"I suggest you get back on the stage before I shove _you_ down there. I have quite the patience to stand in one place for some time by the way."

Justine peered down into the secret compartment. "Too bad it's not just a bit bigger. I could think of a few companions with whom I would happily remain locked up with all day."

"At least you would be quiet then," said Julia.

Justine shot her a look of warning. "Hardly. At least someone would want to be locked up with me for something besides money."

"That is obvious," replied Julia tossing her hair as she moved to the stairs leading to the stage, "Good looks will only get you so far. It is what beneath that matters," she said quietly and looked right at Erik.

He glanced away. This was getting far too personal. "Joseph, start at the beginning. We are going to perform the production all the way through but will start over if I see any mistakes."

The Company groaned. It was a tactic that Laurette used to be in control of them and it worked. They would be serious now as no one wanted to keep starting over. By late afternoon, Maria came to tell him Christine had arrived. This surprised him as he thought she would be coming in the evening. He ended the rehearsal much to the delight of the Company that was tired of barely making it through the first two acts with how many times he was stopping them.

Erik's heart was heavy as he made his way to the Music Room. He would not have Laurette to comfort him now after this next encounter. He peered through the secret mirror and found Christine sitting alone on the chaise. She was dressed in another elaborate gown of royal blue complete with matching sapphire jewelry. She was looking down and fiddling with her fan. Erik watched as her hands moved over it, spreading it wide and then shutting it again, the same hands that had touched his face when she kissed him.

Damn! Would his heart ever stop aching in pain with what happened between them? He had Laurette now. Why wasn't this enough? Why should he even care if she trusted him? Shaking his head, Erik stepped through the mirror cautiously.

She immediately looked up. "It seemed not so long ago I saw you entering my dressing room in such a manner," she said softly.

Erik said nothing and walked over to the piano. He refused to give into any of his feelings about her. "Start with a scale in C."

They worked for the next hour with Erik swearing he was a saint in controlling his temper with her. In their past relationship, it was easy to command her as she had thought he was an angel of music. She obeyed without question. Now she questioned everything to the point that he felt like using his melodic voice to control her mind. But she had to do this herself, to find the music.

"Practice Christine," said Erik sharply as Raoul collected her cloak getting ready to leave.

"Do you think I would not?"

"We will see in two days if you have." Thank God it was two days away and Erik could have some quiet sanctuary away from her.

She glared at him and left, purposefully smiling sweetly at Raoul. Tired, Erik made his way back to the dining room. He was missing Laurette terribly at the moment and having thoughts on how to kidnap her from Monsieur Garier.

"Hello Erik."

Surprised, he saw Doctor Charrette standing in the dining room. "Maria let me in. I apologize for not coming by yesterday as I said I would."

Erik had forgotten all about the doctor saying he would visit him immediately the day after he had examined his face. He shrugged. "There has not been any further bleeding so I'm assuming it is fine."

"We cannot assume anything Erik. Please sit down."

He thought to argue with the doctor but he was too damn tired. "Where is Maria?"

"Not to worry," replied Paul knowing Erik was concerned she may come in while his mask was off, "I told her not to come into the room until I have called her."

"So now you are giving orders to my servant?"

The doctor grinned. "As a doctor it is in my nature."

"I wish all women were as easy," complained Erik.

"Then life would be far too boring. Sit down."

Erik did as he asked and Paul pulled up a nearby chair from the table. Taking some things out of his bag, he then looked at Erik motioning for him to take off the mask. He reluctantly removed it, still weary of Maria or anyone else coming in.

"Slightly better," said the doctor examining the wounded area, "But it will take some time to heal yet. I'm going to give you another shot of medication."

Then suddenly Erik, who was looking at the walls trying to endure the entire ordeal, saw a small hand reach out and hand Paul a syringe.

"Thank you Mary," said the doctor matter of fact as he reached up to the wounded area.

Shocked, Erik looked at her. She was now in the room and assisted her husband by handing him more things so he could clean the wound and re-stitched it. After the doctor had given him the shot, Mary looked at Erik with determined eyes. "I need to apply more of this cream into the area. Will you allow me to do this?"

Erik slowly nodded, impressed by her bravery. It was as if she embarrassed that his face had shocked her so badly a few days ago. She seemed determined now to show him the professional nurse she was. Erik already knew she was an excellent nurse as he had watched her care for Laurette. But he allowed her to do this so she could feel better.

There was a knock at the door. "Uncle? May I see you for a moment? Maria said I am not allowed in."

Paul walked over to the door, carefully opened it so Andre could not see inside, and left the room. Finished, Mary began to put things away into her husband's bag. Erik retrieved his mask silently and began to put it on.

"I am very sorry Erik."

Erik looked at her. She had her eyes down and was focusing on neatly folding some cloth bandages. "Why?"

"Why?" she echoed as she looked up into his eyes. "For…how I acted…the other day." She suddenly seemed extremely upset and tears were forming in her eyes. She looked away.

Erik reached out and gently took her hand. "Mary, do you honestly think I do not expect a reaction? How many times do you think I have seen the same reaction from anyone who has looked at me?"

She shook her head. "It was wrong of me."

"Wrong to be human and afraid of such a thing?" Erik laughed. "I think not, Mary."

"But as someone in the medical profession you should expect better."

He did not seem to be helping. He thought for a moment and then smiled. "You _were_ better."

Mary hesitantly turned her eyes to look at him. "What?"

"Well actually, I believe you are the first woman who did not scream or faint. So only dropping a tea set is quite an exceptional achievement don't you think?"

She tried to hold back a smile, but she gave in and couldn't help herself. "How can you laugh about such a thing?" she said smiling. "You are terrible."

"That is what Laurette tells me all the time."

The door opened and Paul returned. Seeing that Erik had his mask back on, he nodded back through the doorway. Maria and Andre entered.

"Will you be staying for dinner?" Maria asked.

"Dinner?"

"Yes, it is a bit late, but the Maestro has not eaten yet."

"I am not truly that hungry Maria," said Erik. He was still not feeling the best after his lesson with Christine.

"Well in that case," said Dr. Charrette smiling, "We have to stay. I promised Laurette that I would make sure you took care of yourself."

Erik shook his head but gave up and sat down, the rest of them joining him while Maria happily bustled in and out of the kitchen when food.

"So Andre," said Mary, "how is it that you are rising in your stardom but have not settled down yet with a nice girl?"

Andre choked on his food.

"Mary, leave him be," said Dr. Charrette as he accepted a bowl of soup from Maria.

"I just wanted to know. I cannot believe there isn't anyone."

Andre shook his head, busying himself with eating.

"Now how is it that you are not seeing anyone? I saw all those girls around you the night Paul and I came."

"Mary-," said Paul trying to interrupt.

"Well he is a good prospect for any girl. Beautiful voice, talented…"

"Aunt Mary, I would not say I have the time. I am usually tired with rehearsals and the shows." But he glanced at Erik and then down at his plate. Erik said nothing. He knew Andre stayed out most late nights with Justine.

"And you do not have the time to meet someone at any of those balls after the performances?"

"We are not invited to all the balls. Just the ones Monseiur Garier wants to show off the cast. Most of the time it is just Madame Duprey."

"Well," said Mary straightening in her chair, "Now is the time to meet someone. You should make more of an effort."

"Aunt Mary, can we change the topic?"

"Why? My nephew is deserving of a nice wife. What is stopping you?"

"Well it's not like Justine gets most of the attention," muttered Andre in a sarcastic voice. He stabbed the meat on his plate with force.

"You are much better then Justine."

"Mary," said Paul putting down his spoon, "Will you stop pestering him? Let the boy have some fun while he is still young."

"What are you saying? That once he marries, that is the end of his life?" She looked at her husband, tilting her head at him.

"No, I am just saying-,"

"Yes?"

"Well, I mean-,"

"Go on Paul, I am most interested to hear how marriage will ruin his life."

Erik swallowed his laughter as he watched Dr. Charrette trying to justify himself to his wife of thirty years. "Perhaps it would be better to admit that he should not worry about finding serious love at the moment as he needs to make sure it is the right one," said Erik trying to help him out.

"Well, yes, I suppose that is true," she replied as Paul gave Erik a most grateful look. "You do need to be careful on your choice Andre. Especially some of those horrid girls from such prominent families." Andre had his head down, his face turning red.

"So Erik, I have heard that Monsieur Garier extended the season of course," said Paul trying to change the subject, "What production will you select next?"

Erik frowned. "I have not decided yet although I am leaning toward Faust. Laurette would have an easier time playing a well known character."

Andre's head came up at the mention of Laurette's first name. "When will Madame return?"

"Not soon," said Paul in a low tone, "I would not say I am having the best hand at politics I'm afraid. The public seems most infatuated with her."

"But that will change once the Countess returns to the stage, won't it Maestro?" asked Andre looking at Erik intently.

The two lessons he had with Christine had not gone well and he was concerned very little progress was going to be made in the next few weeks. "That is my hope," he replied softly.

"Well, I do not think it will be that long," said Mary to Erik with a reassuring smile, "I am sure if the Countess can just improve on her tone, the public will be taken with her once more."

"I doubt that," said Paul as he handed the empty soup bowl to Maria. He reached out and helped himself to a steaming bowl of potatoes. "Christine must sing beyond the talent of Laurette. Everyone knows what a fine voice Laurette has. Now Christine has to be even better then when she first debuted in the Opera World."

"Can that happen?" asked Andre looking once more at Erik.

He sighed in response. "We will see."

"But Madame…isn't her health…I mean, she isn't feeling very well is she?"

"Laurette is strong in spirit," replied Paul knowing Erik was reminded of the worry they all had.

"But what if that does not happen? Will Madame quit?"

"That is what she should do," muttered the Doctor as he took a drink.

For the first time Erik felt that Laurette was justified and needed to defend her decision as she was not here. "It is what she wants. It is her choice."

"To die?" asked Paul with a biting tone.

Mary looked nervously between them both. Maria steadied herself carrying the dishes.

"Her life is directing. We all die sometime. Why not strive to make our own decisions as to what makes us happy before that time?"

"I would think she has you as more of a reason then just directing."

Andre shifted in his chair uncomfortably.

"It is her choice," said Erik quietly. Despite any regret he had with Christine, he knew that free will was the key to an individual's happiness. Although he wondered if in the end it could still lead elsewhere.

Maria suddenly came quickly out of the kitchen to hand the doctor a note. He read it and frowned.

"What is it?" asked Mary.

"The Paquet family may have the measles. We will have to isolate them and prevent it from spreading."

"Oh how awful," said Mary, her eyes saddening.

"Will they die Uncle?"

"It is too hard for me to say, Andre. Most adults seem to usually avoid the disease. Children are the most affected. If you will excuse me Erik, I need to get over to their estate. Andre, would you please see Mary home?"

"I am coming with you," said Mary.

"No, you will not."

"Yes, I am."

They stared at each other in anger. Erik realized how similar his relationship with Laurette was in comparison. If only they could be together for thirty years…

"Mary, please. Not only do I fear for your safety, but I need you at home in case any of the other patients call."

Her face softened and she relented. Erik bade all of them goodbye and returned to Laruette's bedroom. It was so empty without her. He looked at the bed and thoughts of her underneath him came to mind. He could go back down below, back to his own bed. But he felt closer to Laurette by staying here.

Sighing, Erik undressed and got into bed, his mind once more swirling with thoughts of Christine mixed in with Laurette passionately kissing him. He could only hope that things with Christine would become better in the next few weeks.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"You are forcing your voice again."

Christine frowned. "You told me to sing louder."

"Not forcefully."

"I have to sing forceful if I am going to sing louder."

Erik tried to keep his patience. A few weeks had passed and it felt as if this was still his first lesson with her. "The support comes from the diaphragm, not your throat. Concentrate on your diaphragm."

She concentrated and began again. Erik listened, shook his head, and then walked to stand behind her. She jumped when he took her hand, but he firmly placed it on her abdomen.

"Feel it Christine. Sing."

She began again, obviously tense as his hand was on hers as he stood so close behind her. Her abdominal muscles were fairly soft and unused. Once more he talked with her about the importance of breathing correctly.

"If you do not improve on your breathing, I will force you to do nothing but breathing exercises your next lesson."

She snatched her hand away from him and walked over to the piano. "I remember."

"You have forgotten."

"No! You are just being harder on me."

"Really? I thought I was just reviewing the basics."

"Stop it Erik. I know this is still about the choice I made."

He practically rolled his eyes. Erik was craving Laurette so badly that he rarely was thinking of Christine except when he was actually in front of her. Although it continued to distract him with the tight dresses she wore. His body was already aching in need and her physical appearance was not helping.

"The choice before you is if you are going to practice and sing. Start again."

She sang, breathing slightly better this time, but without any confidence.

"Believe in your voice when you sing Christine. Start with the note deep in your stomach and then push it upward. You have developed some bad habits. You need to start again."

"I have to leave," she said curtly as she looked at the clock.

"You have only been here less then an hour."

"So?"

"How many hours do your practice on your own without me?"

Christine hesitated.

"If you do not know, then it is not enough."

"I have to leave," she said firmly. Christine walked over to her retrieve her shawl.

He stepped in front of her. "I cannot wait much longer Christine."

"What are you talking about?"

"Madame Duprey…she is ill. It is not just that she wants to return to directing, but she cannot keep having late night engagements. It is physically wearing her out."

"Why do you care?" She was eyeing him with suspicion.

"She deserves your respect Christine. She is the reason this Opera House has been successful."

"No, that was Monsieur Garier. His ruthless publicity strategies are what made the return of the Opera Populaire."

"You are wrong Christine."

"You seem to enjoy telling me that lately."

"If you started paying attention and practicing then perhaps I would not."

Anger flashed on her face, her brown eyes seemed to become darker. "That is the real reason you are doing this. To make me pay for my choice."

Exasperated, Erik turned and walked back to the piano. "Good night Christine," he said with his back to her, still walking. She did not respond and he heard the door close. He shut his eyes and thought of Laurette. Soon it would be almost three weeks since he had last seen her. Erik was beginning to feel desperate, fearing even that madness was beginning to overcome him. He even had thoughts of trying to find the young girl the one night so long ago, just once more to get his feelings out, to be held by someone that cared. But Erik was too afraid that he may be tempted to go beyond just being held, so he refrained.

There was a knock on the door and Maria appeared in the doorway. "I thought you may want this as soon as the Countess had left," she said handing Erik an envelope. She was giving him a wide smile.

It was a letter from Laurette! If anything could lift his spirits it was this. "Thank you Maria, how did you…?"

"For once I actually have to say I am grateful that Justine is so popular with the women. He came over tonight briefly as he received Madame's letter from one of Monsieur Garier's servants."

It was interesting that Justine was actually seeing one of Monsieur Garier's servants. However, thanking Justine was still not something Erik wanted to do, but he did thank Maria. When she left, he eagerly opened the letter.

_Erik,_

_I believe Faust was a good choice even though I was bored to tears with it at my step-father's opera house. But I certainly know the main character well enough. However, I do not have any good news when it comes to rehearsal time. Monsieur Garier is allowing me to "stop by" for one hour late next week. I will be unable to stay at the Opera House. Since we have limited time, please have any scenes you need ready to rehearse. _

_I wish I could write more, but as I know this is being delivered to Justine, I will refrain. But I do look forward to seeing you again._

_Laurette_

One hour of rehearsal? Erik shook his head in disgust. He would have to make sure and send as many notes as possible in regards to the production through Justine. And although he wanted to tell her so much more, Erik knew he'd follow the same example of Laurette and kept comments strictly professional, especially if Justine was going to be delivering them.

The next few nights passed in slow agony for Erik. With the new production he had more then enough work to do and he threw himself into it. But he was continuously lonely.

Doctor Charrette's visits were at least helping. He had stopped by a few more times to check on Erik's wound and play more chess. Erik had even enlightened Paul by discussing better ways to align his strategy in the game. The doctor was thrilled when he came close to winning against Erik and was now more determined to beat him then ever.

Finally the day arrived when Gautier announced to him that Laurette would be in the theater that very afternoon. Erik had prepared the Company for her limited visit, trying to quickly review the most critical areas with her. In addition, he made it a dress rehearsal as he wanted to make sure everything looked and fit correctly. Gautier could make suggestions to Monsieur Garier's staff if he wanted to change anything.

"She has arrived!" called Jean-Paul, one of the lookouts.

Erik hid quietly behind the curtain just in case she was followed into the theater. Dion stood by and then gave Erik a motion that all was fine. He emerged and saw Laurette who was not looking very happy. She was wearing the character Marguerite's elaborate dress. For the most part, the character wore simple dresses except for a particular scene. Erik had requested she select this dress as he knew most likely the others would fit without any issues. The dress fit her, but was quite more full then even Erik had expected. He knew Laurette hated it. He was also concerned as she looked very tired. Her face seemed more white then ever.

"We better start," she said coming down the aisle.

"Let's start at Act Two," said Erik to Gautier.

"No, I think it would be better to start at Act Three," said Laurette as she approached him on the stage.

Erik frowned. First, he felt Act Two needed more work and he had told her this in a letter he sent by Justine. Second, Act Three had a scene in which Justine playing Faust would kiss her. Allowing Justine to kiss her when he had not for the past three weeks was just to much to bear.

"Act Two has more cast members. The solos and duets are important but not as with so many different characters. We need to coordinate them on the stage while you are here."

"There are a number of women in the garden scene in Act Three," Laurette pointed out.

"But there are still more members in Act Two."

The Company sensed their disagreement as Erik saw them looking at each other. Laurette sensed this as well but seemed even more irritated. "Fine," she said and walked to the center of the stage.

Erik was dying to just take her into his arms and kiss her, hold her. He cursed Monsieur Garier in his mind for the short amount of time they had to use for rehearsal and not themselves. He motioned to the cast and they took their places.

In the middle of one of the first songs, Erik stopped Joeseph. "Andre, as brother of Marguerite, you need to show more feeling. Remember, you are entrusting her care to your friends as you leave for the war."

"And just how is he supposed to show such serious feeling after a drinking song such as Vin ou Biere?"

Erik turned to Laurette almost surprised at her remark. "He is the one to help in changing the mood to a more serious tone."

"Well perhaps it would help if Andre moved off to the side more, away from the others. Why is he in the middle of the cast?"

"Because he is surrounded by his friends wishing him farewell."

"He needs to be more off to the side so he can draw Marguerite in."

There was something more biting in her tone to him. He was used to arguing with her but not usually in front of the Company. He scolded himself as she was the director. He needed to give her more room for authority to maintain respect. He nodded at her and then looked at Andre who also nodded. But this did not seem to soothe Laurette's mood.

"Méphistophélès should not stand so much in the way of Marguerite's brother."

Erik bit his tounge but could not help himself. "The character Dion is playing needs to be closer to you. He is causing the uneasiness and the need for her brother to move in."

"As if either of them could even get close to me with how many layers there are with this dress," she muttered. She reached for her hair which was normally down, but it had been swept entirely up for the dress rehearsal. This seemed to annoy her even more.

Erik had Joeseph start again but then Dion stumbled right into Andre.

"I want you to be close, but not that close," said Erik with a smile. Andre and Dion grinned back.

"As was my point just a few moments ago."

Andre and Dion's grins faded as Laurette seemed to glare at Erik. Her blue eyes were like deep dark pools piercing his gaze.

Erik drew a calming breath. "Perhaps if you were to give Dion and Andre a bit more space."

"More space? I am ready to fall off the stage with the fullness of this dress! I cannot move any further. Dion needs to move back as I already told you."

Erik winced at her tone. She was practically attacking him. "Why don't we move on to a different song?" suggested Erik. "We can think about this later."

"There is no thinking about it, that is the way it should be."

Erik felt his anger rising. He was trying to be cooperative but she was deliberately making it known that she strongly disagreed with him in front of the Company. "I just think we can discuss it lat-,"

"_No._ And by the way, isn't Valentin giving his trust over to Wagner and Siebel for his sister? You have placed them so far apart she wouldn't even be able to see them. What were you thinking?"

Erik had enough. As the Company watched nervously, he crossed the stage and stood right in front of her. "I think perhaps we need to take a break," he said with his eyes narrowing at her.

"_We_ do not have time to take a break. I only have one hour which we are wasting already!"

"_I insist_," said Erik through clenched teeth.

She stared at him with silence, making the moment even more uncomfortable in front of everyone. "Fine," she finally said in a low tone. She began to walk off the stage.

Gautier motioned to the Company. "Alright let's just take about five minutes."

"Ten," Erik corrected.

Laurette stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him, her eyes flashing with anger.

"We have much to discuss," he said as his jaw tightened.

Furios, Laurette strode off the stage with Erik following her, his hands going behind his back. She stopped not very far backstage but he came right up behind her. "Keep going Laurette, I do not want anyone to hear us," he said in a low voice.

She bit her lip in response and practically stomped further backstage until she reached one of the furthest dressing rooms. Quickly walking inside, she turned to face him once she was against the furthest wall. "Does this suit your needs?" she asked with her eyes flashing in anger.

"Perfectly." Erik locked the door behind him and stared at her.

An uneasy silence followed which only infuriated Laurette even more. "Well?" she demanded.

Erik was silent.

"Erik, please, we do not have much time."

"No, we do not."

Erik was across the room in an instant, his mouth coming down hard on hers while his arms wrapped around her forcing her to him. She struggled, pushing against the wall of his chest and a cry came from her throat. But he held her firm and deepend the kiss.

Slowly Laurette began to soften, her struggles ceased and Erik knew he had her. His heart was beating fiercely in his chest to the point that it hurt. His body was aching in pain. He lifted up the layers of the skirt. There was no time to get her completely out of the dress but he would feel what he could with his hands. He pushed her down onto a small chaise, his own body pinning her to where he wanted. His fingers found her inner thighs while he began to kiss her neck. He wanted to kiss her breasts badly but there was no way to get to them as the corset was so tight. He softly kissed down to her clevage, nuzzeling there with infinite tenderness.

She was beginning to cling to him in desperation for release. His fingers touched the very core of her until she was practically crying. His own hunger for her was overwhelming, her fingers inside his shirt were driving him insane. Erik threw off as much of his clothes as he could and possessed her, madly sating her hunger and his. Two hearts became one as he physically and mentally moved within her. It was pleasure and love with such incredible intensity that it felt as if he were spiraling out of control, taking her with him.

Satisfied, he lay there for a moment, listening to the fast rythem of her heart and trying to catch his breath. Then he suddenly got up and pulled her to a standing position. Bending down, he began to pull down and smooth out the layers of the skirt. Somewhat shocked, Laurette slowly reached up to pin up some of hair that had fallen down. Once he was finished with her dress, she walked over to the dressing table and sat down.

Erik quickly dressed. He buttoned his shirt and shook out his jacket, carefully adjusting the sleeves once on. He stood looking at Laurette for a moment who was somewhat trying to fix her make up, but looked like she was still quite unsure of what just happened. Very slowly, he approached her and leaned his head down next to hers. His eyes met hers in the mirror.

"You were right about one thing," he said softly, "There are far too many layers in that dress."

She met his eyes for a moment and saw the gleam in them. A smile from her quickly flashed and she looked down, color flooding her white face. Erik laughed under his breath, pleased that she had finally responded to him. He reached out and cupped her chin, turning her head to his and kissed her very softly.

"I will always let you win any argument Laurette, you just have to let me."

Tears were forming in her eyes and she quickly tried to wipe them away. But Erik held her hands and made sure he looked deeply into those blue eyes. "I would do anything for you," he whispered.

She put her arms around him and pulled him close, her head against his chest. "I love you," she said in a trembling voice.

"Maestro? Madame?"

They pulled away from each other.

"Yes, we are coming," said Erik still looking at Laurette. He kissed her softly one last time, his gut wrenching with the pain of not being able to touch her lips again in God knew how long. He helped her up and as soon as they left the dressing room, Erik once more drew his arms behind his back, Laurette slowly walking beside him.

Returning to the stage, Erik walked over to Andre and Dion. "You will give Andre more space, at least a few feet between the two of you." He turned and looked at Armond and Maurice. "Both of you need to come closer." Then without any more words, Erik led Laurette to her place and stepped down off the stage. Gautier motioned and Joesph started the song once more. Settling himself into one of the theater seats, his eyes rested on Laurette.

Gautier sat down next to him. "I see that was an argument you apparently lost," he said quietly.

"No," Erik said still looking at Laurette, "I would say we both came out about even." He smiled despite himself at the hidden humor as Gautier sat puzzled. Laurette returned a shy smile.

The rest of the hour went smoothly, the Company rapidly figuring out in most of the songs they wanted to rehearse any areas of concern with Laurette. She purposefully asked him a few times for his opinion in front of the Company and then accepted whatever he said. The cast seemed to be breathing a sigh of relief.

"That horrid woman Bernadette is here," called Jean-Paul from his point of lookout. Laurette's eyes met Erik's gaze and they looked at eachother for a moment. He suddenly was overcome with temptation to ignore every damn idea she had and take her down below.

"She is coming!" hissed Jean-Paul.

"Maestro please," begged Julia. Erik looked at Julia's face, her eyes wide with concern. He looked at Laurette one last time and then hid behind the curtain just as Bernadette entered the theater.

"Come on then! Monsieur Garier is waiting! We have several stops we need to make before the next private engagement this evening," Bernadette said. Erik peered around the curtain to see Laurette walk to the stairs. She looked so tired that he was for once pleased to see Justine reach out to help her down. And then she was gone.

It was still early afternoon but Erik could no longer concentrate despite the work still needed on the production. He had Gautier end rehearsal early.

"But Maestro, we have so much more to do," complained Chantel. The others nodded.

Normally this dedication would have touched Erik but he shook his head. "Not today. We are finished. Go home, all of you." They frowned but did as he asked. Despite his emptiness, Erik was at least quite happy at his interaction with Laurette. He was determined more then ever to find a way to make Christine sing once more.

Christine arrived early in the evening with Raoul. Maria, much to Erik's dismay, invited them to sit down and join him for dinner. Erik made a mental note that he would lower her rent as punishment.

"How is the new production coming along?" asked Raoul trying to be polite as Maria served him a glass of wine.

Erik was not in the mood for conversation, especially with this man. But the sooner they got the meal over with, the sooner he could corner Christine in the Music Room to try a new tactic. "We still have much work to do. It would be better if Monsieur Garier would allow Laurette more time here at the Opera House to rehearse."

"How long does she get to rehearse?"

"So far for this production it has been one hour. That was today," he said in a grave tone.

"That is outrageous!" exclaimed Raoul. "How could anyone have such control over someone?"

Erik narrowed his eyes. "I could think of a few reasons."

"When is the first performance of Faust?" asked Christine interrupting on purpose to intervene.

Erik sighed. "Two more weeks."

"Well, I am sure you have nothing to be concerned about. I am sure Madame Duprey will continue her conquest."

"Excuse me?" asked Erik.

Christine gave what he thought was an evil smile. "Well, it is said that she is doing much more then just singing at all those private engagements."

"That is not true," said Raoul much to Erik's surprise as he defended Laurette.

She glared at him as Maria poured wine into her glass. "Why else would she put up with such a man? Or could it be that she is enjoying herself?"

Erik's chest tightened at the thought even though he knew Christine was wrong. She was looking right at him for his reaction, testing him. He suddenly realized she was suspicious of their relationship.

"Her only care is to direct. She deserves that as it was her that was responsible for the revival of this Opera House," said Erik in a serious tone, "Unlike others."

Raoul cleared his throat trying to ease the tension.

"Oh hush Raoul. He needs to know the type of woman she really is. Her heart may be filled with music, but I assure you, her thoughts are filled with men." She suddenly shrieked and jumped out of the chair as Maria spilled wine onto her dress. "How dare you! You incompetent woman! I have assistants to my servants who are better then you!"

"It was an accident!" said Erik sharply even though he knew unconsciously it most likely was not. Still, he would not have anyone talk to Maria in such a way.

Erik saw that Maria was truly horrified at her behavior as she stood with her head bowed.

"I am so sorry Madame! Please, let me have the gown and I will clean it."

"And just what am I supposed to wear?" she demanded.

"Madame Duprey has a number of dresses."

"I am much taller and slender then her. They would never fit me."

_Slender? Taller yes, but Laurette's waist was just as tiny as Christine, _he thought. What is it with women competing as to who is thinner?

"Please Countess, she has a number of gowns that are too large for her."

"_Large_? I would hope that means not like you."

Erik grew angry as Maria flushed. She was by no means a young woman or slender, but she was one of the other few women Erik most respected. "I would watch your tongue Christine," he said.

"Fine! Whatever! Where do I change?" Maria led her to Laurette's suite.

Raoul turned and looked at him. "I will return in an hour."

_Thank God, _thought Erik. Being alone with the man would be exceedingly dangerous for both of them. He walked to the Music Room and surprisingly found a letter on the piano. He opened it.

_While Justine is remarking about how wonderful he is right now on stage, I thought I'd write a quick note to you and try to give to Gautier before I leave._

_I just wanted to say thank you – it has been hard lately with Monsieur Garier. He is still courting the Duchess but he is wearing me out. I am not certain how much longer I can last and I am sorry I took my temper out on the one person I care so much about. I just miss you. _

_I have to also admit to you that I am jealous of Christine spending so much time with you when I cannot. I miss you and I love you._

_Laurette_

Erik shook his head and slowly folded the letter. She had his heart completely. He admitted to still loving Christine, but not the same way he once thought. He loved Laurette as his other half.

The door opened and Erik quickly put the letter in his inside pocket. Christine strode in wearing a very low cut gown that was silk with a sweeping train. This was definitely one of the dresses that did not fit Laurette.

He motioned her to come toward the piano and with one piano key, she began to sing scales in her warm-up. He was pleased that her voice was beginning to re-shape, she was not as off key as she first was. Still, they had such a long way to go. He decided to put forth his new strategy.

"Do you still visit your father's grave while in town?"

She froze for a moment, a shocked look upon her face. "What business is it of yours?" she snapped.

Erik shrugged. "I just remember you held him very dear to your heart."

"Yes, I remember quite well how you used that very weakness of mine making me believe you were the angel of music he sent to me."

"Perhaps I was."

"We both know you are no angel," she said in a low voice.

"But it brought forth your musical spirit. Perhaps your father was speaking to me and led me to hear your voice."

She stared at him for a moment. "Stop it Erik."

"Stop what?"

"Stop trying to make me believe…hope for a sign from my father. You know I miss him terribly, even today."

"And why not try to believe in that? What is the harm Christine? What has been my purpose in life? Perhaps it was a reason for existance."

"Are you saying…you were born f-for me?"

"I know of little reason as to why I was born. But I would hope there was some purpose in it, even though I am not sure entirely what that is. And I would hope that your father sending me to you may have had something to do with it."

Christine shook her head. "Father is dead."

"Not his spirit. You carry his music in your soul."

"I-I don't like this. What are you trying to do?"

Erik sighed. He was hoping the thought of her father would give her inspiration once more, but it was not going smoothly. Still, at least it was making her think about it. "Nothing. I was just trying to remind you that his blood is in you Christine. You are his continuation of music."

"Not anymore," she said bitterly.

"You have the power to change that."

She looked upon him with a small hint of the soft eyes he once had memorized so well. She was thinking, studying him carefully. "Then let's start again," she murmered.

The words came unexpectedly to Erik and he tilted his head. "You can do this Christine. You always have been music itself." He looked back at the keys and returned to practicing the scales with her.

The lessons that followed seemed to be less tense with far less anger between both of them. Erik was pleased that perhaps the thoughts of her father helped. She would not want to disapoint him even in spirit. Her new efforts were showing as she slowly began to reveal the voice she once had.

"Good Christine," said Erik as he finished playing a song he had selected. He finally relented to having her sing something other then a scale and she did fairly well. The song was not complex in nature but it was a start. He was feeling somewhat upbeat, hope swelling in him that this insane plan would bring Laurette back.

She smiled. "I believe that is the first time I have even heard you compliment me since we started our lessons once more," she said softly.

"You have been practicing. It shows."

She laughed lightly. "Yes, my servants think I am quite mad when I walk around practicing my breathing as I do. At first they asked me if I was ill. Now they just whisper among each other."

Erik could not help but smile. "It is clear that you are much stronger. You are using your diaphram so much more now. I would hope that you ignore such unkind servants."

He stood up and walked by the side of the piano. The hour had come to an end. Usually Raoul would arrive but there was no sign of him. Perhaps she planned to meet him outside the Opera House as she sometimes did.

"How are the rehearsals going?" Christine asked. She took a few steps closer to him.

Erik remained planted in his place and leaned slightly back onto the piano. "Very well actually. Despite Laurette's absence, we seemed to have worked out many of the details. Julia is very helpful as her stand-in."

"Perhaps I could stand in sometime."

"Perhaps."

She was now standing fairly close to him. It was then he realized this was the first time she had approached him. He straightened.

"I am sure Justine would not be very happy if I did that."

"Justine would quickly be put in his place if he heard the voice you can once more become."

"I doubt it would be enough to get his attention. He seems to have many admirers," she said smiling.

Erik could not help himself and his eyes glanced downward. She wore a more simple dress today, but still fairly low cut, generously showing her clevage. A beautiful emerald tear drop necklace nestled conveniently in the area. He quickly tore his gaze away and met her eyes. He was used to tilting his head down when he spoke to women, especially Laurette. But Christine was much taller. Perhaps glamorous was the best descriptive word for her stature. She fit the look of upper society, although Erik was beginning to see her heart still in fact held the softness within he had once known.

"I am sure you would catch the attention of Justine quite easily," said Erik quietly.

She laughed. "I do not think it would that easy. But it is nice to hear you say that."

Her brown eyes were beautiful. Her face looked so soft with lightly pink cheeks. Erik took a breath. "Where is Raoul? Should he not be here by now?"

Christine shook her head. "He said he might be late today. He had some business meeting he had to attend with Monsieur Leduc."

The name sent a shudder through Erik. This was a man who would like nothing more then to claim Laurette or Julia for all the wrong reasons. He laughed inwardly as he thought of the book Laurette read. Perhaps Monsieur Leduc fit the character better then Monsieur Garier.

"He appears to be a man that is used to getting his way…especially with women," he muttered.

"I do not see what women find attractive in him other then wealth." Christine's eyes remained locked with his.  
"Raoul has wealth."

"There are other things…that attract a woman, or at least me," she said softly.

Was it just him or was she now standing even closer? His thoughts were racing to the time he would have killed for a moment like this. Then she did step slightly forward again, her face was very close and this was an extremely intimate gesture on her part. It made Erik's heart stop.

"You showed me more then physical beauty Erik," she whispered. "I thought about you every day since our parting."

She was so close he could easily reach out and kiss her. He could smell her perfume, and her brown eyes seemed very intoxicating. Even her hair was down today, flowing generously down her shoulders in large curls. Her mouth was wide and generous.

Her mouth.

It was so unlike Laurette's small rosebud lips. While still sensual, Christine's mouth suddenly made him blink and come back into focus of the situation. She was either testing him or truly attracted to him. Regardless, his mind was now fully on thoughts of Laurette.

Erik moved aside and walked away from her to the opposite side of the room. "Your voice demonstrated a new beauty I could never have imagined in this world Christine." He turned and faced her.

She was slowly turning around, her face appearing almost surprised that he had walked away from her. "And you have been here all this time when I thought you were gone." Her voice seemed to have changed somehow, as if now almost in an angry tone.

Erik tilted his head. "You did not return."

"Perhaps I would have if I had known Erik."

"Why? You made your choice. There was no need. It was better this way."

"For whom? I wept for you Erik! You deceived me once more! How can I trust you?"

Now Erik knew she was angry as her eyes had once more become cold. "Are you saying you would have changed your mind if you knew I was alive?"

"No…I-I just would have wanted…to remain friends."

Erik laughed. "Friends? It was definitely better the way it was." If she had returned to the Opera House God knows what he would have done. And he may have never met Laurette. But Erik was startled when he realized tears were streaming down Christine's face. He wasn't sure what to do in response. He still loved her, but he could not say the words. It felt like he was betraying Laurette for some odd reason even though he knew now it was not the same. He was tormented as what to do.

The door opened and Raoul appeared. He looked at Christine, saw her crying and rushed to hold her. He glared at Erik. "Damn you," he said in a low voice.

"I am already condemned to damnation," retorted Erik.

"Raoul," said Christine in a shaking voice, "Stop. Let's just go."

Raoul retrieved her cloak and placed it on her, protectively circling his arm around her. He looked once more at Erik. "We shall see if our agreement will continue. If you dare to make her cry again I will break every bone in your body."

Erik woud have laughed at such a thing. But he was surprised at Raoul's anger. Perhaps he did really love her. He certainly seemed to be willing to place his own life before hers.

"It is up to Christine," replied Erik softly.

She wiped away the tears and looked at him. "I will return," she said firmly.

Erik could have given Raoul a smug smile but he did not. The Count was having a hard enough time understanding why his wife was crying and yet wanted to return here. Erik simply bowed his head in response and they left.

In a few days it was time for the debut of Faust. Erik was thrilled that he was going to see Laurette once more. All his thoughts of worry with Christine seemed to dissolve. Doctor Charrette had stopped by and told him happily that Monsieur Garier was being forced to allow Laurette further rest at his estate. This infuriated him of course, but the doctor had sent a colleague to ensure she did not perform. He hoped she would be well enough for this performance.

"Justine, I swear I'm going to smack that smile off your face!"

Erik looked to see Julia standing before Justine who was smirking at her. Her face was as red as the roses she was holding. "Justine, Julia, you should be getting ready," said Erik as he approached.

"Yes, of course Maestro," said Justine with a mocking tone still looking at Julia.

"Shut up!"

"What is the problem?" demanded Erik. He was growing impatient with their continual bickering. He could not see how Laurette was right in regards to them eventually coming together. They seemed ready to kill each other.

"Nothing," said Justine still smiling. "I only complimented Julia on the roses she received from Monsieur Leduc."

"He was gleefully pointing out that Monsieur Leduc is in the audience with another woman!"

Erik refrained from giving an exasperated sigh. Julia had a mind of her own, but this had gone too far with Monsieur Leduc. And Justine was having far too much fun at her expense. "Both of you get to your dressing rooms right now. I will not tolerate anymore of this. Keep your conversations to the performance. Understood?" He glared at Justine.

"Of course," said Justine still smirking at Julia. He laughed and turned on his heel to walk to his dressing room.

Julia looked at him with embarrassment. "I am sorry Maestro. I did not mean to be…unprofessional. We should follow the example you and Madame give before the company."

Erik winced. If Julia knew how intimate he and Laurette were, she would never say such a thing. "It is fine. Please go and get ready."

"Maestro the entourage is here," said Maurice walking up.

Erik nodded and disappeared behind the curtain. He heard the women fussing over Laurette backstage and escorting her into the dressing room. He decided to refrain from watching her, knowing full well it would only torture him anyway since she would not be alone.

He seated himself in Box five and observed the audience. The chatter among the women mostly involved Laurette and if she was seeing Monsieur Garier despite his relationship with the Dutchess. Part of this angered Erik, but it also made him hope that Monsieur Garier would be quite content with the rumor and he would continue to see the Dutchess for the publicity alone.

The lights dimmed and the performance was underway. Laurette was fabulous as Marguerite. Her voice was strong tonight and carried quite well. It was obvious that the bed rest had restored some of her strength.

Despite the beauty of her voice, Erik could still hear her feeling tense. Closing his eyes he listened. Every note was perfect in clarity. She clearly controled the intensity of her voice with the song. But it was missing something. He sensed that she was forcing herself with little enjoyment of the song itself.

Opening his eyes he realized no one else would notice this. She smiled perfectly and moved about the stage acting the part with happiness. He even frowned when she acted as if she loved it when Justine kissed her during Act three. Justine of course was courting her with enthusisasm.

When the performance had ended, he crept down the familiar corridor to her dressing room. Looking through the mirror, he saw her sitting at the vanity. She was simply sitting, looking at herself with no expression. He quietly entered the room. Normally he would have immediately come up behind her and kissed her quite passionately. But he knew something was different this time.

"The performance went very well, do you agree?" he asked quietly.

She did not even turn around nor did she look at him in the mirror.

"Yes."

"Dion did well, although Armond did make a mis-,"

"What did you think of my performance?" she suddenly asked interrupting him.

Erik was surprised she was asking this. "Surely you know how well you did. I would have thought the number of standing ovations alone would have told you that."

"I am not asking them. I am asking you." Her eyes met his in the mirror.

He hesitated. Why did this matter? Her eyes maintained a steady gaze with him, looking for his reaction. "Every note you sing is perfect Laurette. Your tone, shape…all of it is perfect. You never miss a spot onstage or how you should be interacting with the cast. That is quite an achievement when you haven't even rehearsed with them. You are exceptional."

Her facial expression remained blank. She did not smile at his compliments. "And?"

He pursed his lips once again hesitating. She knew he was holding back something. "And you are beautiful," he said quietly.

Her eyes dropped away from his down to her hands.

"Laurette?"

She said nothing nor did she respond in any way. He stood there thinking for a few moments. Finally he walked over to her and pulled up a nearby chair. Sitting down, he reached out and his fingers caressed her cheek. She still gave no reaction. He sighed. She was not going to let him hide what he was thinking.

"You caputure the music beautifully," he said softly, "But Laurette…you do not _feel_ the music when you sing." She turned her head completely away from him and immediately he felt horrible for saying such a thing when she was the one person who felt music as much as he did. "I am sorry, I should not have said that."

"Why?" he heard her respond. She turned and looked at him. "It is true." She gave a small bitter laugh. "Only you would notice."

He was quiet for a moment. "Why do you _not_ like to sing Laurette?" he asked with a gentle voice, hoping to finally get an answer.

Her eyes looked away from him, staring at the white rose he had placed in a small vase on the vanity. "My performances always had to be perfect," she whispered. "Always. I worked relentlessly, perfecting everything. I had to know every part of every Opera in case my step-father called me to replace anyone who had gotten sick, including the lead role." She continued to stare at the rose. "But it was never perfect. Not for him. I could never please him."

Erik nodded as he finally understandood why she was so hard on herself during the performances. She wanted to live up to her stepfather's expectations but could not. It made perfect sense and he was relieved to know the reason.

"And when I did not please him, he made sure I knew it after the performance."

_What?_

"At first he would just hit me, but then he quickly learned that he had to be more discreet as I bruised easily and questions only drew attention."

Erik completely froze, a terrible clenching of his stomach was beginning to emerge.

"But then when my mother became ill," she whispered, "He found…other uses for me."

Erik's heart was beating hard against his chest. He was horrified. Her stepfather, Monsieur Beaumont, the one man that was her mentor in Opera had betrayed her. Erik sucked in his breath sharply. No longer did he wonder where her physical experience came from. He reached out and held her hand with his. "Laurette…,"

"_NO!_"

She suddenly stood up almost knocking Erik over and before he knew what was happening, he saw her disappear through the dressing room door. He ran after her.

"Laurette!"

She did not stop. She ran through the maze of dressing rooms down the hall, toward the the backstage theater exit leading to the Grand Staircase. It was fortunate the Company was still gathered a distance away near the stage talking in excitement about the performance as no one seemed to notice.

"_Laurette!_"

Erik reached out and caught her wrist but she wrenched it away from him and made it to the door. She flung it open and ran into the open forier where the grand staircase was. Erik stopped in his tracks as she was surrounded by the members of the audience, their faces lighting up with smiles as they greeted her. She turned and looked back at him.

Erik stepped back into the shadows so no one would see him but she knew he was there. He was angry and he felt his jaw tightened as she stared at him among the crowd trying to speak with her. She looked at him with what he thought was the first time a look of loathing. He felt completely betrayed all over again. She did not want him, only his assistance for her dream. He glared at her and watched as she slowly turned and walked off into the crowd.

Fuming, Erik returned backstage, almost oblivious to the cast that were chattering in excitement. When they saw him, a few came up to him but then immediately stopped. They saw he appeared in no mood to talk as he stormed by them.

"Maestro?" asked Joeseph. "I need to talk to you."

"Not now," muttered Erik. He wanted to go back down below the Opera House where he belonged.

"But I need your opinion," insisted Joeseph. The conductor stepped right in front of him.

Erik stopped and looked at him. Here was a man that had absolute trust in him. And for what reason? He never questioned Erik's past nor did any of the Company. They simply followed him. At first it was because of Laurette, but now they truly seemed loyal to him.

Joeseph looked at him anxiously. "I know you are busy, but I may not get to see you tomorrow. I have some things at home I need to attend to and I will not be here for rehersal."

Erik gave a deep sigh and his heart softened somewhat. Despite his feelings about Laurette at the moment, he did not want to let the Company down. He nodded and Joeseph eagerly pulled out the score to review some areas he felt needed improvement. Erik patiently answered his questions and gave opinions until Justine walked up to them.

"Have you seen Madame Duprey?"

"Does it matter?" He was still bitter at her for running from him like some kind of monster.

"Oh," replied Justine softly. His face had a look of concern. In fact, Erik now noticed all the Company looked concerned. He thought none of them had seen her run but maybe a few of them did and now word had spread.

Erik focused back on the score before him. "Why do you ask?"

"Well…after the performance," Justine hesitated but Erik did not look at him. "She, well, she did not want to come off the stage after the curtain was lowered."

Erik looked sharply up at him.

"She just stood there with a look of fear or something. I don't know, but she would not move or speak. It was as if she was in shock, not even aware of her surroundings… like she was in another world."

Erik knew at that moment she was in Monsieur Beaumont's world. Her continued performances were not only wearing on her physically but also mentally. She was struggling to separate present with past given her horrific upbringing. He suddenly realized that those memories were making her feel anger at him. He was the one waiting for her after the performance. Although he never criticized her, he was still there to talk to her about how the Company did and…

Erik closed his eyes for a moment as pain swept through him. He was physically intimate with her after every performance, just as he was sure her stepfather had been. The thought sickened him. But it was different…he did not hurt Laurette, did he? She seemed to want him just as much as he wanted her. But the realism of her memories and her current circumstances worried him with how it was affecting her.

"Maestro?"

Erik focused back on Justine. "Perhaps…she is just tired," he said quietly.

Justine did not look convinced but he seemed to understand not to push the subject. "Of course," he said. He then walked over to meet Andre who was getting ready to leave for a night on the town.

Joeseph was looking also at him with a concerned face. His almost silver eyes seemed to have softened and his smile had disappeared. "Is she alright?"

Erik did not know. He did not even know where the hell she was at the moment. "Yes," he answered.

He quickly finished up the conversation with Joeseph on the score. In truth, he was suddenly very worried that she could be out, alone walking on the streets. His heart slammed against his chest at the very thought of her being stalked and murdered in the dark streets. He would go out and look for her, everywhere he could think until he found her. Erik swiftly made his way back to her suite to retrieve his black cloak.

But a light was shining through the mirror as he apporached. He had not left any light on in the room and he had instructed Maria to go to bed early as Erik had hoped for a quiet evening with Laurette. He slowly came beside the mirror and peered inside the room.

Laurette was there, standing with her back to him in front of a dressing room mirror near the bed. She had changed into one of her simple cotton night dresses and her hair was now completely down. She appeared to be somewhat in shock still, not even looking at her reflection but downward, her eyes seemed distant, with no feeling. She simply stood there, motionless as if she were lost.

Erik quietly entered the room and walked up behind her. For some reason he was now even more hesitant to touch her, as if he did not want her to fear him when she was in such a mental state as this. But he could not resist and brushed his lips softly against her cheek. To his dismay she sharply turned her head away from him.

Erik thought for a moment about their earlier conversation. Still behind her, he leaned down again and whispered into her ear.

"Do you know the secret to feeling music?"

She did not turn her head back to him but she did move her eyes to meet his in the mirror. He reached around her and took her hand in his then brought it up to his lips.

"It is the same as seduction," he murmered. He brushed his lips softly against the top of her hand while his fingertips very very slowly and lightly touched up the length of her arm. Her gaze fell onto his fingers.

"When a song begins," he continued softly, "The feeling always starts slow, tantalizing, with light sensation." His other hand was now moving up her other arm, the fingertips barely touching her skin. He saw her chest move and was satisfied that her breathing was becoming deeper.

"It always builds, the notes begin to absorb into you as if you feel it intwining with your soul." His fingertips had now made it up to her neck and he moved his mouth dangerously close to it, but he refrained from kissing her. He had to touch those lips and his index finger on one hand raised up to softly trace the outline. His own body was now beginning to tighten in response. He could feel her breath on his finger and she parted her lips slightly.

He moved his finger back down her chin to her neck and then slowly down to the clevage of her breasts. Watching himself touch her in the mirror he found to be very erotic. A few times he saw her also glance at the mirror but she remained silent, letting him touch and whisper soothing, seductive words about music.

"The melody sings to you, warms you."

Now he allowed the luxery of brushing his lips against her soft neck. His fingers continued to play down her clevage while his other hand cradled her neck as he continued to let his breath and lips caress. He could feel her shoulders begin to soften as her body relaxed under his touch. Then he saw her close her eyes, her head tilted, giving him better access to her neck. His hands went to the sleeves of the night dress and he let it slide slowly off her shoulders.

"Open your eyes Laurette," he whispered. She did and watched in the mirror as his hand slid to caress one of her exposed breasts. His fingers traced the curve, refusing to hold its fullness, continuing to lightly touch and feed the fire that was growing within her.

She closed her eyes once more and now tilted her head back to him, urging him to kiss her lips. He did not give in and simply brushed her lips with his, barely touching them. He felt her shudder and her hand reached up to clutch his hand at her breast, pressing it against her.

"Do you feel it?" he asked in a whispered husky voice. His mouth brushed the corner of her mouth and her grasp tightened on his hand with a slight whimper in response.

Erik finally relented and firmly fastened his mouth over hers. It was the most passionate kiss he had ever felt and was suddenly taken into another world of pleasure. He was so taken by the kiss that his body raged at him, his clothes suddenly uncomfortable and tight. His hand pressed against her breast as he teased the nipple with his fingers. His other hand moved downward and began to caress her secret, most intimate core.

She was trembling. He could feel it. Afraid she might suddenly fall, he lowered her to the bed next to them but kept himself behind her, forcing her to lay on her stomach. His breath caught in his throat as he gazed at her provactive bottom and he was suddenly very determined to keep her in this position. He threw off his clothes and lay on top of her, softly rubbing his body against hers. She was so warm and welcoming. She arched her hips upward, backing into him, making him go mad. His fingers continued to find her, now knowing this was a way not only to ensure her pleasure but to test her readiness for him. There was no question that she wanted him and he posied himself over her, prolonging the moment before their bodies joined. She strained upward against him.

"_You_ are my music," he said with a ragged voice and with one stroke he became one with her. For the first time in their intimacy, Laurette cried out. He turned her head, forcing her to kiss him. His body was raging at him to succomb, but he deliberately slowed his pace. He heard another whimper from her throat and held out even further, waiting and caressing.

Erik suddenly found that he immensely enjoyed torturing her with pleasure. He had always simply ensured her own satisfaction before his but now he wanted her to experience far more then him. He felt a sense of power flow through him, causing him to remain in control. The feeling was unlike anything he had ever encountered.

Then she was wildly shuddering and he clenched his teeth as her body seemed to tighten around him. Erik was lost in the sweet agony of the moment, his body greedily moving without his control. It was exquisite, his body felt so hot and aching, burning with a need only she could fulfill. His release was almost violent, his muscles rippling the length of his entire body while he sated his terrible need. Exhausted, he could not help his full weight that fell on top of her. And then he realized her body seemed to be still shuddering.

She was crying.

Erik swore softly to himself and eased himself from her, turning her over onto her back with his arms tightly around her. He cursed himself. It had gone too far. If anything he should have let her be in control instead of him dominating her such as he did. With the memory of her stepfather it was wrong.

He pulled away and looked down at her. "I am very sorry Laurette," he whispered. "I did not mean to hurt you."

She seemed to shiver for a moment and tried to wipe away the tears. "You did not hurt me," she said with a quivering voice.

"Have I ever hurt you?"

"No, I am just…I never thought…" She could seem to get the words out in her strangled tone. "Erik I love you," she finally said and began to cry once more.

He held her, letting the tears freely flow. "I will be the only one waiting for you after a performance Laurette, only to worship you, pleasure you. I would never hurt you. I cannot live without you."

She buried her face into his chest. He changed positions, allowing her to be on top of him as he cradled her and stroked her silk hair. His lips brushed her forehead as if he were assuring a small child. And he protectively tightened his arms around her.

Slowly, her crying lessened, her breathing became more normal. He listened to the sound of her heartbeat, ignoring the stirring already once again forming in his body as he thought of her pressed so close against him.

"Has there ever been any other?"

She laughed slightly. "None who were successful."

"Not even Michel Rosseau?"

He heard her take a breath. "If there would have been anyone, yes, it would have been him. If he knew what my stepfather had been doing, he would have stayed. But I knew he was restless and he needed to leave. I let him go."

Erik nuzzled her forehead with his lips once more. She had let Michel Rosseau go just as he had let Christine go. The sadness they felt they shared together in their search for love. It only made his heart even more tied to hers.

"Do you remember the night I first kissed you?" she asked quietly.

Erik laughed softly. "How could I ever forget?"

She was quiet for a moment. "When I was getting ready for the performance you came up behind me and took my hair down. You were standing behind me like Monsieur Garier had done so many times. It scared me."

Erik let out a sharp breath. "I am sorry…"

"No…it was…that was the first time that I ever felt…" She suddenly seemed to swallow. "It was the first time I had ever _wanted_ the touch of a man. I had never even thought about it being something I ever would want until you were so close to me. I was so shocked to realize that…I actually wanted you to touch me. I was scared that I would never have that feeling again."

Erik took a deep breath. "I could not believe you were so suddenly beautiful to me. It was quite a night of realization for both of us. And I almost ruined it."

"No, I was so wrong to let myself do such a thing. I never would have dreamed that I would have kissed you like that. But I just…wanted it so much. I was so scared you would not have anything to do with me. I was willing to take whatever I could get from you, even if it meant just seeing you. I wanted the physical attraction, the feeling of wanting physical contact to last forever. I never thought it was possible."

Erik breathed almost a sigh of relief. She was releasing her emotions to him. And it made him strangely happy that he was in fact the only man that had brought her such physical pleasure. He almost laughed at this thought. Him, a terrible monster of death and she was physically attracted to him. Erik vowed she would never see his face.

But he was still horrified at the information she had shared with him. Here he had thought his own childhood was more then anyone could endure. And yet she was someone who had grown up in continual fear. Music was the one common love for both of them that took their minds away from their nightmares.

"Did your mother know?" he asked softly.

She stiffened somewhat in his arms. "Yes."

Erik's arms tightened around her. He remembered Laurette saying that her mother was sick for some time. How could she let this happen to her?

"When my father died, we were homeless, living on the streets. My mother spent every moment she could earning money by selling off bits and pieces of jewelry my father had given her not only to survive, but to buy ballet shoes and a proper outfit to try out for the Company. She was a rising performer at one time before she met my father. Her hope was to make her way back into the Opera world and earn money to provide for us. Monsieur Beaumont ended up being so taken with her that it was only a few weeks later that they married.

I realized soon after that my mother was getting a lot of bruises. She always blamed it on falling down or slipping. I did not think anything of it until he began to beat me as well. For being so small, I was still strong in my spirit. I was determined that he would not break me and I would carry on for my mother in learning about the Opera World. But then when she became ill and no longer could provide him with the intamacy he needed…,"

Erik nuzzled her forehead again with his lips as she took a deep ragged breath. He could feel the tears beginning to stream from her face onto his chest. "Stop," he whispered to her. "I cannot bear to hear you cry Laurette." He meant it. His entire heart was turning over in pain and he wanted to shelter her away forever in his arms.

"I went to my mother once," she said in a strained, whispered voice, "I told her what was happening after he…after he started to touch me in intimate ways. Her response was that we needed to do what we must to keep a roof over our heads."

Erik closed his eyes. Everything made sense now. Especially her feelings that women had little choice in this world. Her understanding of Julia's situation with her mother and the weight of trying to take care of her. It was all wrong. That men in such high positions had to be pleased to allow women to live. As if it were her responsibility.

"I only want your happiness Laurette. Even if that meant even to let you go, I would. That is how much I love you."

She raised up and buried her face into his neck and began to sob. Erik was on the verge of tears himself. "I never want you to let me go," she muffled. She raised her head up and looked at him. "I stay with you not because of my dream or to depend on you to help me. I want to stay with you because I love you. I cannot bear the thought of me without you."

"I am here with you Laurette," he whispered softly, "Always." He continued to stroke her hair and let his other hand caress her face.

"Do you…still love Christine?"

Erik stiffened for a moment. This was not a question he had been expecting. He simply thought with him confessing how much he loved her tonight would be enough. He wanted to almost avoid the subject as he could not lie to her. It was not the same kind of love. How could he make her understand?

In one movement he suddenly flipped her over, his hand still caressing her face. "Yes. I still love Christine. But Laurette, I do not know how to explain the difference. She and I have a bond that is very deep. I do not think I would ever be able to stop loving her…even if her heart never goes back to the soft, kind girl I knew."

Erik shook his head. "It is so different. The only way I can explain the love between you and I is that we are…soulmates." His eyes were now burning with wetness and he held back. He knew he would never be with her after she died. But it was in fact the only way to describe his deep love for her. "You are my other half Laurette. I just did not know it at the time I met Christine. I understand now. You are the one."

He was drowning in those damn blue eyes that were piercing his soul. If she could look within him, she would know he was telling the truth.

"You were right about Armond making a mistake. He should not have come in so early."

Erik smiled as her mind once more returned to the love they both knew. "We will have to work with him to get it right." He bent down and kissed her fully, savoring the warmth of her lips. "You will always be mine Laurette. No one else can have you…not even music. I won't let anything come between us. While I will still support you in your insane dream to become director, your heart must always belong to me, before music."

"And you love me more then music?" she asked in an almost incredulous tone. Erik knew what she was thinking. Music was the one thing that had been there for him, the one love that was always strong.

"Yes," he said firmly.

She laughed lightly. "Then you must love me as much as I love you."

His hand caressed her cheek. "I should let you rest," he murmered as he bent down to kiss her neck. "But I think Dr.Charette will need to lecture me once more after this night."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The voice singing filled his very soul. And for a moment, he thought he was seeing and hearing a glimpse of the heavens.

It made him shudder.

"What did I do wrong?" asked Christine suddenly as she stopped singing. Erik realized he had stopped playing and was staring at her. He shook his head.

"Nothing," he said quietly not wanting to admit how he just felt. His heart inside though was soaring. Her voice was returning but he had no intention of making her think she was anywhere near being such a beautiful voice. She still had too much work to do and he did not want her to lose momentum on her continued desire to practice.

He stood up from the piano seeing the clock which was telling him Raoul would be here soon. He crossed the room toward the mirror.

"Erik?" He heard her voice actually quiver. "What is it?"

He stood before the mirror and looked up to meet her gaze behind him. She looked almost frightened, as if she though he was suddenly abandoning her. "You are improving each day," he assured her softly, "Continue to practice Christine."

"How could I forget? I think of you every day. You are always with me in my mind still it seems."

Erik did not respond. Christine was in his mind but Laurette was in his heart and it was painfully beating. She had left shortly after the night she admitted to him about her childhood. It had already been over a week without her.

"Erik?"

"Practice Christine," he murmured and he stepped through the secret mirror leaving her to wait for Raoul.

He wandered down the back corridor and to the theater, already listening to the songs being rehearsed. In some respect, Erik was at least excited about this next performance. Instead of it being an Opera, Laurette apparently had convinced Monsieur Garier to do something different and hold more of a concert of different songs. The orchestra had a feature, Julia would be singing a solo, there was a duet between Chantel and Sara, and even the dancers had a performance choreographed by Melanie. No doubt Monsieur Garier gave in as she convinced him it would draw the attention of the audience to do something different.

Emerging backstage, Erik saw Justine taking his place to practice his solo. "Maestro!" Erik heard Joseph. "I need to show you something."

Erik nodded. Joseph always had to show him something. But he was pleasantly surprised when Joseph held out a number of music sheets that he could tell were handwritten by Laurette.

"This is Madame's solo that she sent to us. It is rather…different."

Erik read over the music, the melody already playing in his head. She had admitted that she was no song writer so it puzzled him that she had actually written something for this performance. "Did it come with any words?" Erik heard himself asking.

"No, which makes it all the more difficult," complained Joseph. "I thought we'd be able to at least use Julia to practice. But now it seems we are going to have to…improvise and follow Madame's lead." Joseph sighed. "It is unsettling. I hate the unplanned during a performance. These musicians, although talented, are still quite inexperienced."

"Let me listen to them," said Erik as he walked with Joseph over to the stage.

Justine was frowning. "What about me?"

"I am surprised Justine. Do you need to practice?" asked Erik.

Justine stared at him for a moment and suddenly began to laugh. "Why Maestro, you actually made a joke. That in itself is progress."

Julia smiled from the side of the stage and the musicians were grinning at him. Erik was surprised to find he actually pleased they were doing so but did not want to reveal such a thing.

"Move off the stage," Erik practically growled at Justine. He laughed in response and jumped down to the theater seats.

Joseph hopped down into the orchestra pit and began to give instructions to the musicians. "Watch the second section, look for my cue, remember soft and gentle than climb slowly to the top of the scale in the climax. And whatever mistakes you make, don't stop, let's just get through it once for now."

Erik froze for a moment as Joseph's words reminded him of the night with Laurette. He was even more curious now as to what she wrote. He felt a tug on his sleeve and looked down to see Phillipe who was motioning to him furiously. "What is it?" he asked gently.

Phillipe scurried away pointing to a few sets he had erected backstage. He pointed upward and Erik saw a large backdrop poised to come down. Apparently he had instructions to do these things from Laurette during the song.

"Did she write to you?" asked Erik suddenly feeling jealous that he had not received a letter. For the first time Erik had ever seen, Phillipe smiled at him. "I see," said Erik in a low tone. "Very well, let me see what the background is during the song."

Joseph raised his baton and the musicians began to play. It was indeed a very soft melody that was new to him. Phillipe had darkened the stage to begin what appeared to be a dark, night scene. The stars seem to slowly appear one by one while moon moved behind some transparent clouds. Erik was impressed; it looked just like one of the beautiful nights he saw from the roof of the opera house. Obviously Laurette had made sure of this.

The music slowly began to swell and it had a sweetness to it. While dramatic in tone, it also displayed a soft side. It seemed to fit Laurette perfectly. The climatic end of the song had soft smoke swirling around on the stage and the moon brightly shining.

"Wow," said Justine as the musicians finished. "I think she shall draw even more attention than me."

This was true. Erik was still puzzled as Laurette did not like to draw attention to herself. She was more than happy when any of the other cast had to take a leading role in a scene. He looked at Joseph.

"They did well. Perhaps a little more in tune would help with the woodwinds…" A few of the musicians looked at him sheepishly as they realized he knew they did not warm up properly to which Joseph nodded sternly at them in agreement. "But overall, it comes across very…"

"Dramatic," finished Justine. "Well it is," he said as Erik narrowed his eyes at him.

"Are you still seeing one of Monsieur Garier's servants?"

"Of course. I see her every Thursday evening when she has to come into town for things he wants."

"You need to see if she can retrieve the words for this song from Madame Duprey."

"Well, she can give a message to another servant that will be visiting his vacation house that evening. That is about half way to his estate. She can deliver it to Laurette from there."

"Madame Duprey," corrected Erik annoyed at him.

Justine grinned. "I seemed to recall you having a hard time remembering her formal title and yet now it is you who remind me."

This was not an appropriate conversation in front of the Company and Erik's jaw clenched. "Can you get a response from her that evening or not Justine?"

"Well, yes. I can wait for Cloey…"

"Cloey?"

"The servant I am seeing. She is quite beautiful with red hair…but Maestro, with me waiting that long I won't have any time left to spend with her."

"And that matters to you?" asked Erik knowing full well this was not relationship of love.

"Well, I don't get to see her that often," grumbled Justine.

"I am sure you can survive Justine."

"Yeah well don't be surprised if I do something irrational the next day like cutting down the new chandelier or something."

Dion immediately stepped forward clearing his throat. Armond was right behind him and the two of them were glaring at Justine. The Company was silent.

Erik was not amused. "Take over Guatier; I have other things I need to attend to." He walked offstage trying to control his anger.

"You idiot," Erik heard one voice say from the stage as he retreated to the secret passageway.

"I was just kidding," Justine said.

"I do not believe Madame Duprey would find that remark amusing Justine. You will show him the respect he deserves for all that he has done for us."

Erik could not listen any further and made his way to the library. Maria of course had already made him lunch and was carrying it on a tray.

"Oh! I thought you would be in the Music Room, Monsieur. Would you like to eat in here?"

Erik sighed and sat down in a large armchair near the fireplace. Maria obviously took that as his consent and brought up a small table to set the tray on. He watched her as she happily served soup into a bowl and poured some tea for him. He should go back and put Justine in his place but he simply did not feel like it today. He was suddenly very tired. How much longer could all of this go on? Would it ever end? And what then? Would Laurette simply be content to be with him for the rest of her life? He wanted to take off his mask and rub his forehead even though he knew he would not feel such a thing. But his head was slightly aching.

"May I…would you please give me your jacket?" asked Maria.

Erik looked up and saw her outstretched hand. "Why?"

"Because it is too hot in here," she said softly. "It will help you to relax."

Erik gave in, took off his jacket and gave it to her. Sinking back into the chair he did in fact feel better. "Thank you Maria," he said softly. She smiled at him and left the room. Not touching the food, Erik closed his eyes and slept.

But over the next few days, Erik did not get an answer from Laurette that he wanted. Justine handed him a letter during one rehearsal with a big grin on his face. "I already know what it says," he said gleefully.

He was testing Erik greatly these days.

When he opened the letter, he only saw two words:

Nice Try. --Laurette

He shook his head.

Fine. Leave it so the song might be horrible if they did not practice with the lyrics. It was up to her. He was also annoyed that she had no other words for him even though he knew just as well Justine would read it.

"Maestro? The Count and Countess are here to see you," said Maria walking into the theater.

Erik ignored the Company's eyes that were all on him. "Thank you. I will be there in a moment."

What the hell did Raoul want? The lessons had been going fine, if anything, they were close now. Christine was making him shudder more and more with each lesson. It was as if he almost could barely stand to hear such a perfect voice. He completely understood why it made him go mad. Laurette was at least his anchor now.

He reluctantly made his way to the sitting room of Laurette's suite where he found them seated by Maria. Christine, as usual, wore an elegant dress of silk, the train sweeping around her as she sat. Her hair was twisted into a most flattering style that showed off the beautiful roundness of her face.

God he missed Laurette at the moment.

"What is it?" asked Erik as he entered the room.

Raoul, drinking tea, calmly placed the cup and saucer down on the table beside him. "I think we need to discuss the next part of our plan."

"Plan?" echoed Erik. He had no plan to do anything at the moment except try to avoid killing this man.

"To re-introduce Christine," Raoul said softly. He motioned to a chair across from him.

Erik remained standing. "Christine is not ready yet."

"But I will be soon Erik."

He looked at her and realized she was seeking his eyes. She most likely knew how her singing was now affecting him during the lessons. He couldn't help but stare at her with awe when she sang.

It irritated him.

"You are not ready yet. You should not sing in front of anyone until I am satisfied that you are ready." He wasn't going to take any chance in Christine's voice suddenly not succeeding and furthering Monsieur Garier's attention on Laurette.

"But we have to start now. Christine has been out of the public eye all together. We need to re-introduce her in the social sense, not to sing, but to begin her winning favor with the public through her interactions," explained Raoul.

"Why should that matter?" asked Erik. She only had to somehow out sing Laurette on stage.

"Because even if Christine's voice is the most beautiful voice in the world, it will not matter if they do not like her. Laurette is rather…," he paused for a moment looking at his wife. "Sweet," he finished.

Christine bit her lip and Erik said nothing. But he knew Raoul had a point. Christine had been far from nice and Laurette was so kind she could make anyone falls in love with her just by that alone. Or at least the men.

"What do you want?" snapped Erik. He was tired of feeling like Raoul was leading in control of this whole affair.

"The next performance. It is of course sold out. Monsieur Leduc I am sure would have easily convinced Monsieur Garier to give me some tickets. However they are so sought after, no one is willing to give any of them up. I thought maybe if you still sat in Box five…,"

Dread curled in Erik's mind. He could barely stand to be in a room with this man and now he wanted to sit with him in his box?

"Will this really make any difference?" asked Erik.

"Yes," said Raoul firmly. "She will be visible in the box and it is sure to start the rumor that Monsieur Garier invited her. Or at the very least remind everyone of the famous Opera Ghost tale."

Erik gritted his teeth for a moment at the remark. "I see."

"Please Erik," said Christine softly, "Raoul may have a point here, although I dare say he had better watch himself when he compares me to Madame Duprey." She glared at Raoul. "I may be nothing like her but I do have some good qualities as well."

Raoul's face softened. "Christine, I did not mean…,"

"I know very well what you meant," Christine suddenly snapped. "If you hadn't forced me to come here in the first place…," She choked for a moment, trying to hold back tears.

"Christine…,"

"Can we sit with you or not Erik?" asked Christine ignoring her husband.

He studied her for a moment and for the strangest moment he actually felt bad for Raoul. He had brought her here out of concern to try and return her to happiness. Even Erik had to admit to such a thing. And yet she did not understand the sacrifice her husband was making for that happiness by the fact that he had to return her to the other man that was once in her life. Erik was less than thrilled about them sitting with him, yet he did not want to miss Laurette's performance.

He sighed. "Yes."

"Thank you," said Raoul standing up and collecting Christine's cloak.

"I will instruct a few members of the Company to watch for you. They will escort you to the box."

Christine allowed Raoul to place the cloak around her. Erik was trying not to look at her damn cleavage again. His body was betraying him as thoughts swirled around in his head to be with Laurette once more. A beautiful woman such as Christine was not helping him at the moment. She flashed a shy smile at him and he gave no reaction, not wanting her to see any trace of affection from him.

Erik struggled through the next few days. He was unusually quiet around the Company and he knew he was withdrawing once more. But the continued pattern of Laurette's absence was wearing on him. He looked forward to every moment he could have with her only to deal once more with pain when she was taken away from him.

Climbing the secret staircase to Box 5, Erik grimaced at the thought of sitting with Raoul and Christine this evening. When he arrived, they were already seated and Raoul was holding her hand. Erik was extremely lonely in this moment.

"Good evening," Raoul said greeting him. "I would stand but…,"

"There is no need," replied Erik hastily. "I do not need any further attention drawn here than necessary."

"How are you Erik?" asked Christine politely.

Sitting down in the seat behind the curtain Erik looked at her. Her face looked actually radiant with color. She was the most elegant, graceful looking woman he had ever seen. He swore all it would take for her to hypnotize him would be her voice singing to the heavens.

"I am fine." He did not feel like making conversation but much to his annoyance, Raoul continued.

"Are they nervous?"

"Who?"

"The Company."

Erik shook his head, taking his eyes away from Christine who was distracting him. "Not as nearly for this performance. This is quite a nice break for them in this concert style."

Fortunately before Raoul could say anything else, the lights dimmed and the performance was soon underway. The orchestra played their section splendidly and the dancers were a perfect representation of grace on the stage. Justine of course was his normal impressive self with Erik swearing he smiled at every available woman he could lay his eyes on in the audience. Julia also did very well.

Finally Laurette's performance began. The music had an introduction piece and she did not appear onstage at first. When she did, she walked slowly from the middle of the backstage with Phillipe expertly creating the cascading evening. It almost looked like she slowly appeared through the mist as in some dream. She wore a dark blue cape with a hood that hid her head so that only her white angel face could be seen.

She began to sing.

Erik's jaw almost dropped at the sound of it as he listened. She was singing with feeling, true feeling. He could tell the moment he heard her voice. He listened closely to the words:

Darkness falls with a sad awakening call

But then the moon I see, a light beckoning me

He is here with me always; He is here in my dreams

I love only him, I sing for only him, my love, my life

And as I hear the evening clock tick, the darkness becomes my music

Erik could not take his eyes off of her. During the last part of the song, she actually turned and sang directly to box 5. Even though it was dark and no one could see anyone seated in the audience, she looked directly at him. As the music swelled and her notes reached the highest climax, she brushed back the hood of the cloak and her hair fell down all around her in a dramatic effect with her emotion of the song. There before him, before the audience, she stood with her head high and sang her love to him with full emotion.

When the song ended only then did Erik realize his chest was tight as he had not been breathing. The audience was on their feet including Raoul followed by Christine reluctantly. She looked at him and suddenly stopped applauding.

He was still staring at Laurette on the stage, aching as he saw tears fall from her eyes at the end of the song. She gave a quick bow to the audience and quickly exited the stage before the curtain even came down. He abruptly stood up from his seat and left. Taking the steps two at a time, he hurried down to the Music Room. When he arrived she was already there, alone. He stepped inside the room and she turned to look at him.

He strode over to her and captured her face with his hands.

"You sang for me," he said hoarsely and fastened his lips over hers.

She kissed him back almost fiercely, allowing him to have his way. She was so soft, warm and inviting. If she would just let him carry her back to her room…

"Madame?" It was Gautier's voice.

Laurette slowly pulled away.

"I-I am sorry, but Monsieur Garier is demanding for you to see him so he can escort you to the evening's ball."

Erik looked at her with sorrow. Her face became almost rigid, expressionless. She turned and fled the room. Erik was left standing there feeling like his heart had been torn out. Monsieur Garier was only adding one more spear that Erik was going to use on him, to torture him to death.

Trembling, he took the back secret passageway. But instead of walking to Laurette's suite, Erik turned and slowly walked below. He carefully avoided the traps, relieved to see no further bodies of anyone who had stumbled upon any of them. Those deaths were still a complete mystery to him, a thought he did not feel like exploring at the moment.

Arriving at his old home, he studied his room carefully. The various music sheets lying out on the piano, books of fiction and history lay neatly on his shelves, and the artwork of portraits that were displayed on the wall by the bed including the picture of Christine he had memorized from staring at it for long periods of time.

None of it mattered anymore. His former life was gone. His only life was now Laurette. Even the music no longer mattered. Christine had been right – at one time music was the only thing he had in life. But no more. It was nothing without Laurette. All at once he knew what he had to do to at least keep some sanity for his sake, for everyone's sake. He turned and walked slowly back up to the opera house.

Arriving at the library, he was hoping for a nice cup of hot tea and a quiet evening for his thoughts. But he frowned as he saw Christine waiting. Raoul was no where in sight.

"What do you want Christine?" he asked remerging from the shadows.

"Do I have to want something? Am I not allowed just to talk to you?"

Erik did not feel like a conversation with her at the moment. His thoughts were too taken by Laurette. "Where is Raoul?"

"He is talking with some high profile business liaisons of course."

"And should you not be with him?"

"Why?"

"Because I thought he said you should be re-introduced to the public," replied Erik impatiently. He turned his head to Maria who had arrived and handed Christine a glass of wine. "Would you please bring me some tea?" he asked.

"Of course!" She scurried back to the kitchen

"I will have plenty of time to have such conversations at the ball," said Christine as she sipped wine from the goblet.

Erik sighed. He wanted to be alone. "So what do you wish to discuss?"

"Must I have a specific topic? I thought I would just spend some time with you while I wait for Raoul."

"Fine," snapped Erik thinking with Laurette there was never a need to even think about what to talk about, "Shall we discuss the weather?"

"Why are you being like this?"

"I do not know what you are talking about."

"You are still so…bitter towards me. It seems you have still not forgiven me."

"It has nothing to do with that."

"Than what is it?"

Erik clenched his jaw. Now more than ever he had no desire to talk to Christine about his heart. Maria entered the room bringing the tea set on a try. "Take it to my room," he said to her.

Maria stopped and nodded her head respectfully. But he saw her give almost a sly smile to Christine who in return glared at her.

"Is this not Madame Duprey's suite?" asked Christine looking at him again.

Erik realized his mistake in saying the words "my room". The truth was he now felt like it was his room, especially when Laurette was there. "There are more than a few bedrooms in this opera house. Do I not deserve the right to stay in one like a human being?" he asked throwing her off track of what she was thinking.

"Of course you do. I am happy that you are not staying…where you used to."

Erik said nothing in response.

"Well?"

Erik stared at her blankly.

"What is bothering you?" she demanded.

He shook his head. "I am just…tired. It takes a lot of energy to prepare a Company for an entire performance."

"You are tired." She looked at him with complete disbelief.

"Yes."

"I remember a time when we used to stay up all night practicing endlessly. You did not seem to be tired even after that."

"Well I am now," said Erik irritably. "I will see you at our next lesson." Before she could say anything else, he crossed the room and disappeared into Laurette's suite. He found Maria pouring him a cup of hot tea on the small table near the armchair in front of the fireplace. She straightened and walked around him. He automatically allowed her to take his jacket off.

"Will there be anything else?" she asked sincerely.

"Yes, please call Dr. Charette and let him know I would like to see him when his schedule permits."

She gave him that damn sweet knowing smile and left the room. Erik sank in the chair and warmed his hands with the tea cup. He stared into the fire and had thoughts of holding Monsieur Garier's head in the flames.

"What are you doing here?" Erik heard Dion's voice outside of the suite.

"What does it matter to you?" snapped Christine's voice.

"Madame Duprey is not here."

"Do you think I would not know? Maria is here of course to tell me such things."

"Yes, it would be hardly unlikely for you to actually pour a glass of wine for yourself."

Erik winced and closed his eyes. Dion's comment was not helping in the scheme of things at the moment.

"Why are you here?" Dion asked.

"I only stopped by to talk to…."

"Who?"

"Well…you-you are one of the members of the Company?"

"Yes."

"Oh…so you would know about…"

"The Maestro?"

"Y-yes. I stopped by to see him."

"For a lesson? It is rather late for such a thing."

"No…I just wanted to speak with him."

"Where is your husband?" asked Dion with a low voice. In some ways Erik was grateful for Dion trying to make Christine leave. On the other hand, it was none of his business as to their relationship in the first place.

"I was…I am waiting for him."

"Should you not be with him in such a social event? I would not like to think you would let Madame Duprey down as she is working so hard. I believe you have to do some of the work to return to the stage."

Erik braced himself for Christine's biting response but was surprised. "Yes…of-of course. I better go."

"Yes, I think that would be a good choice Countess."

Erik stirred slightly and slowly got up when he heard Dion knock on the door. Opening it, he looked at him. "Yes?"

"I have a letter from Madame Duprey."

"Thank you." He took the letter but Dion stood there still. "Is there anything else?"

"Are you certain you can trust a woman such as the Countess Maestro?"

Erik was not certain how to react. First, it was unlike Dion to ask such a personal, direct question of him. Second, he was concerned that Dion would even worry about trust with someone who Laurette had placed her confidence in. "Why do you ask?"

"I just want to be sure," said Dion quietly. "Madame has already drained herself of so much strength. I would not like for anyone to fail her."

"I will not fail her Dion."

"Yes, of course." He bowed his head. "I will see you tomorrow."

Nodding, Erik quietly closed the door and sat back down in the armchair, eagerly opening Laurette's letter. She must have written it to him before the performance and brought it with her to give to Dion.

Erik,

I am so frightened as I write this. I am afraid when I am on stage. But I will picture only you in my mind tonight. I know I can do this. For you. I love you so much that it truly frightens me. None of this is beginning to matter anymore. I only want to be with you. I do not know what I am doing. I said at one time that at least I would die doing something that I at least love. But if I were to never direct again and yet be with you, I now realize I would still be doing something I love. Spending my life WITH the one I love. If you ask me, I will stop all of this. I do not care about anything except being with you.

I love you,

Laurette

Erik closed his eyes feeling the temptation sweep through him. She was now admitting, allowing the opportunity for him to take her, to keep her. But Laurette was now mentally and physically wary. Would she regret her decision? Christine was showing promise and he knew she would soon be ready. He was beginning to believe that the plan might work. Monsieur Garier would have no choice but to allow Christine to sing the lead. He doubted he would fully let Laurette simply go and most likely would place her back into the director role – the publicity of Christine upstaging Laurette and as a result having to direct her would be more than enough to keep the public's interest.

A few hours later into the evening along with several composed music sheets, Erik rubbed his neck at the desk in Laurette's sitting room. Christine had been right in the fact that he rarely was tired at night. He was still awake much of the time and he threw himself into composing music furiously to avoid his thoughts on Laurette.

He suddenly heard a knock at the door. It was late and Maria had already retired for the evening. Erik cautiously approached the door.

"Erik? It is only me, Paul."

Erik breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door. "I did not expect you to come this night," he said with a smile in his voice. If there was anyone Erik could relate to most it was Dr. Charrette. Although older, he was closer in Erik's age and experience.

Paul shrugged. "I was making my usual nightly rounds when I received your message. I was over this way to check on a patient, so I cannot stay long. Although perhaps in a day or so I can come back to try my hand at finally defeating you in chess."

Erik gave a slight laugh and fell in step with him walking over to the balcony. Erik had left the French doors open and the cool breeze was blowing in. He was about to close them due to the cold but the doctor suddenly stepped out onto the balcony.

"It is really a beautiful night. You can see the stars so brightly this evening. It is the one thing I at least do enjoy working at night," said Paul looking up into the sky. "But it sometimes makes me miss Mary." He turned back to Erik. "And then I rush straight home," he said with a smile.

Erik smiled in return. "How did you meet her?"

"She was in the nearby nursing school while I was studying to become a doctor of course. I saw her one day walking with a group of girls. Every single one of them was beautiful, but she was the one I could not stop staring at." He grinned. "I was so obvious that she came right up to me and asked me what was wrong. I was so surprised that I lied and said I wasn't feeling well. That's when she revealed that she was studying to become a nurse. I had to fake being sick for a week so she would keep seeing me," he laughed.

"How did you decide to ask her to marry you?"

"I always knew from the moment I met her that I would. But she came from a very prominent family so I was determined to make a name for myself. Her father reluctantly gave me his blessing as I was so poor at the time. But I worked relentlessly impressing everyone and soon had more wealth than her family. Only then did I realize it meant nothing. She was all that mattered in the end. She is the only thing that matters to me now."

Erik bit his lip thinking of Laurette and walked over to the railing. He stared out into the city, the glow of the lights cascading over the streets. "I was wondering if you would do something for me."

Paul came beside Erik at the rail. "Of course."

Erik turned and faced him. "I was wondering if you would purchase a ring for me."

"A ring? What kind of ring? Wait…," said Paul as it was suddenly dawning on him what Erik was asking, "I do not believe I am the one who should be selecting something so important."

"You know I cannot. There is no one else that I trust to do such a thing for me."

The doctor was silent for a moment and finally nodded. "Alright Erik."

Erik reached into his pocket and handed Paul an envelope. He opened it slightly and a shocked look crossed his face. "With this much you could have any ring you wanted Erik. Dare I ask how you got this money?"

"Let's just say it kept the Opera Ghost away for a time with one of the previous owners."

Paul shook his head but was smiling. "I will do my best."

"Thank you."

"And get some rest will you Erik? Mary at least helps me during the day so I can sleep but with Laurette gone, I know you continue to work day and night." He smiled for a moment. "Not that you really get much sleep when she is here with you."

Erik gave a light laugh and grinned sheepishly in return at the doctor. "It is all I can do not to be with her every moment. It is as if she can cast a spell on me any time she wants. How is it that one woman can have such power?"

"All women do Erik. All women do."

Andre was grinning when he finished the song they had been practicing on as he saw Erik actually smiling at him. He was pleased that Andre continued to improve and almost laughed as Justine scowled at his praising remarks.

"Well you still have a long way to learn as far as courting women," smirked Justine. "I cannot believe you left so early last night."

Andre shook his head. "I really was tired Justine."

"From what? At least give a woman the opportunity to give you an excuse to make you tired."

Andre fiddled with the music sheets he was holding from the song. Erik busied himself with making a few changes to the score but was listening. "It just doesn't…I mean, Justine you don't need me there."

"What do you mean? You are a great friend. I like having you with me."

"But I'm never really with you Justine. You have a crowd of women around you each time we go out."

"Oh and like a few women don't pay attention to you?"

"That's not the point! I mean…I just want-,"

"What?"

"Something more," Andre said quietly.

"You mean more women?"

"No," said Andre now looking flustered. "I would be satisfied with…one woman. Or even just…spending some quiet time alone with you and having a good time."

"We have a good time!"

Justine looked at Andre puzzled while Erik smiled to himself. Andre had too kind of a heart to be so like Justine. Maybe he should encourage Julia to spend more time with Andre…

"I promise I will show you a great time tonight," said Justine throwing his arm around Andre's shoulder.

Andre shook him off. "No, I promised my Uncle I would stop by to have dinner with my Aunt again."

"Ok, so stop by the tavern afterwards…"

"No Justine, I need to get up early so I can be here."

"I'm here early and you don't see that stopping me."

"No…I need to be here…earlier than you."

Justine froze. "What?"

Andre glanced at Erik who continued to silently work on the score. "I…I have been coming here before you each morning."

"I never see you."

"Well, no…I wasn't sure how to tell you…,"

"Tell me what? Wait, are you saying…," Justine looked at Erik. "You are taking singing lessons with him before I arrive?"

Andre said nothing.

"I see." He drew a breath and smiled at Andre. "I have to admit it is working," he said softly although Erik could still hear him. Justine grinned. "But you will never out sing me my friend."

"No?"

"No."

"Perhaps you should have more faith in your friend."

"Oh I do. In fact, I'm willing to bet you three drinks that you land a leading role someday outside of Paris."

Andre grinned. "I'll bet you four."

Erik shook his head although he was pleased the two were still getting along despite the fact that Andre was excelling in maturity beyond Justine. He wished some of that maturity would rub off on Justine.

He glanced towards the side of the stage and saw Phillipe looking quite glum. Maurice had been paying less attention to his brother these days. Julia had told him that Maurice was now seeing someone. Phillipe was not taking to the situation well and at times even appeared angry at his brother. Erik would have easily empathized with Phillipe as he himself was without a woman's love for so long in his life. But Phillipe actually showed little interest in women. At one time, Erik even noticed that Melanie had shown some extra affection to Phillipe. Despite being small, he was actually not a bad looking man. But Phillipe usually ignored her. His only desire seemed to be working on the sets.

"Phillipe," called Erik trying to get his mind off of his brother. "Would you please set up Act Four? Also, I need you to come up with some more ideas for the last scene. I'd like it to be brighter."

Phillipe immediately jumped up and ran to the stage, pulling down parts of the current set. Julia was walking by and when Phillipe accidentally dropped some flowers he was carrying off, she bent down to help him. He frowned and grabbed them from her. But before he could run off, Julia in her forward nature stopped him.

"I was only trying to help you."

He froze, looking down and unsure of what to say.

"Well you could apologize."

Philippe blinked and looked at her as if to motion he was unable to do such a thing.

"You could give me at least some gesture."

Embarrassed, Phillipe thought for a moment as he most likely realized he never had such a gesture. He placed his hand to his heart and bowed old world style before her.

"Thank you." Julia smiled at him and suddenly reached out and gave him a huge hug. Shocked, Phillipe struggled against her and breaking free, he ran from her. Julia laughed and beamed at Erik. "I just could not resist."

Erik shook his head smiling at her but frowned when he saw Justine come up behind her. "I've insulted you many times and you've never given me a hug," he said with a smirk.

"That's because you are not as cute as Phillipe," she said and began to walk off the stage.

Justine shackled her wrist.

"How dare you! Let go of me!"

He stood there impassively for a moment, looking at her, studying her face. Julia's eyes became wide and Erik realized Justine was moving in closer to her face. "Please let go of me," she whispered.

Erik stood up and glared at Justine.

He gazed at her for a brief moment longer, enduring Erik's burning eyes, and lightly let go of Julia's wrist. She slowly took a few steps back, almost stumbling, and then fled from the stage.

"A word with you," said Erik in a low voice. Justine clenched his jaw in response and walked down the steps off of the stage. He stood straight and tall before Erik, rigid with unfeeling coldness. "Except for your relationship onstage you will stay away from Julia," said Erik with a threatening tone.

"I don't want to be anywhere near her except onstage."

"I see. Than explain to me why you touched her that way."

"She was just…annoying me."

"That does not mean you need to touch her or make any further degrading remarks. Did you know that she has been thinking of leaving the Company even earlier than she planned due to your relentless treatment of her?"

Justine looked shocked for a moment. "Well, no…I did not think-,"

"You did not think, that is the point," interrupted Erik.

"Maestro, I did not mean her any…I mean I would never want her to leave the Company, if ever." Justine hesitated as if he had just admitted to actually wanting Julia around. "I mean, she is meant to be here, not with some wealthy husband just to sit around all day."

"What does it matter to you Justine?" Erik asked in exasperation. "As far as I am concerned I want Julia to finish the year out and so should you. She is what Madame Duprey and I need to help us in this trying time."

Justine's face softened. "Yes Maestro. I am…I am sorry."

"Good. Now go warm up some more."

"I will go apologize to Julia first."

"You will do no such thing," said Erik flatly. "Leave her alone and only converse with her on the songs you are singing as a duet. Understood?"

Justine frowned but nodded. He briskly walked by Erik to the side of the theater where the rest of the chorus was warming up. Erik sighed and looked at his pocket watch. It was going to be a very long rehearsal today.

Finally by late day Erik ended rehearsal and warily walked backstage. Armond almost ran right into him. "Have you seen Dion?"

"No," replied Erik assuming he was most likely seeing to those keeping a look out for security purposes.

"He's been gone most of the day. Sometimes he just disappears like that."

"Well he is lucky that I have not needed him and discovered he was gone."

Armond's face filled with worry. "Oh I did not mean to get him in trouble or anything Maestro, please…,"

Erik waved him off. "It is fine, so long as he does not interrupt with our rehearsal needs. Where do you think he is?" For a brief moment, Erik felt a stab of fear with his memory of the traps down below.

Armond shrugged. "I'm not sure. He was talking about tracking down that publisher. I know he left the Opera House. He is very dedicated to Madame Duprey and he is always trying to help so hard."

"Yes," said Erik nodding and somewhat relieved that Dion had not ventured elsewhere within the Opera House. "We are lucky to have both of you."

"Thank you, although I wish we were both around a little more often," he said sighing.

Erik smiled, patted him on the shoulder and moved off to the secret corridor. He was actually hungry and smiled broadly as Maria greeted him with the dining room fully set tonight. She was serving one of his favorite dishes. It would be even more perfect if Laurette was sitting at the table.

He was just finishing the meal and glancing over more of the score when Maria came in. "Dr. Charette is here," she said as she reached out to take the dishes. She smiled as she saw his plate was empty.

Erik nodded in thanks and made his way to the library where Paul was standing out on the balcony looking over the city. "I did not expect you back tonight," said Erik walking up to him.

Paul smiled. "Yes, well I have something that could not wait. I have to return it by tomorrow." He walked over to one of the armchairs and pulled out a very large velvet black box. Unsnapping the front, the doctor very carefully opened it and set it on the table in front of him. There before Erik were at least twenty diamond rings of various sizes and shapes, glittering in all directions.

Erik was dumbfounded. "How were you able to do this?"

"I treated a little girl with the flu not long ago. Her father owns an exclusive jewelry shop." Paul straightened a bit. "Of course if I were to lose this it would mean my head."

Erik frowned. "You took a terrible chance carrying this around Paul. What if you had been robbed?"

"I was careful."

"None the less, I shall walk with you when you return this to him. It is too dangerous with how dark it is and you know it."

"Yes, yes Erik. Now stop worrying and select one."

Erik studied the rings. But his eyes went directly to one that stood out among the rest. It was the only diamond surrounded by color. It was an oval diamond nestled in a fire of rubies, sapphires and emeralds surrounding it. It was very elegant and completely different, just like Laurette. He reached out and picked up the ring. It was perfect.

Paul widely smiled at him. "It matches her perfectly."

"You knew I would select this one."

He shrugged in response. "It was the only one in his shop with any color. I had to bring it with me. But I had to still believe I gave you a choice."

Erik laughed and slipped the ring inside his inner coat pocket. He looked at Paul. "Thank you."

"And may I be the first to present both of you with a wedding gift. Mary and I own a small chateau in the country. It is completely secluded and will provide the perfect privacy for both of you to take a trip alone after you wed."

Erik's eyes widened a bit. "Thank you, however, I do not think there will be such a ceremony of course."

"What do you mean?"

"I do not think Laurette and I would risk such a thing with our secrets," replied Erik. No one could know Laurette was involved, least at all, with an Opera Ghost who was known for a gruesome past.

"I have a very good friend who is a priest Erik."

"I do not believe even a priest could keep something so secret."

"This one can. I would trust him with my life."

Erik let out a breath and smiled. "We will see, but I believe I need to concentrate on making Laurette promise that she will be mine first."

"I am sure she has already done that," said Paul smiling.

"Until I have this ring on her finger I will not believe such a thing," Erik said remembering how he felt when Christine had not wanted such a thing.

"Yes, you apparently have quite a hard time believing that love could happen to you Erik."

"And you wonder why?"

"I do not wonder why you have such a hard time understanding how it could happen. I only know that it is possible for anyone. It is a matter of finding that person."

Erik pursed his lips slightly and shook his head. "You have been a good friend Paul." He felt a stab of guilt regarding Paul's sister.

The doctor smiled. "You will not say such a thing the day I beat you at chess."

Erik laughed lightly. "That day will never come my friend. Come, we will begin to walk to the jewelry shop to return the case."

"Really Erik, I am fine."

"I insist."

The doctor firmly shook his head but before he knew it he found himself walking alongside Erik in the blackness of the night in the streets. He blinked for a moment, not recalling even how he got there. He glanced at Erik. "Was I drinking?"

Erik laughed. "No."

Paul brought his hand up to his forehead and rubbed it a bit while they walked. "I am getting too damn old," he muttered.

Erik patted him on the shoulder as they walked. "Or your mind is weaker than you thought."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing of course." Erik smiled inwardly. He did not want to force anyone to do anything with such a talent that he had. But when it came to things he really needed or someone's safety such as with the doctor, he would take no chances.

Erik hid in the shadows as Paul walked across the street to the jewelry shop. The owner had given him a key and he quickly disappeared inside to return the box with the money for the ring Erik selected. The wind was blowing quite hard and Erik's cloak was whipping around him. The silence of the city was eerie, even more so tonight when Erik was used to it. He kept his eyes alert, but saw no one.

Paul emerged and walked back over to Erik. "All finished. You know, my home in the city is not very far. Would you like to have some hot tea before you return to the Opera House?"

With the cold night setting in Erik could not resist the invitation and followed Paul down the streets. Once in a while they would see a person walking and Erik would quickly pull back into the shadows. Paul would walk slowly ahead, patiently waiting for the person to disappear until it was safe for Erik to return by his side.

"Perhaps I am the one protecting you," laughed Paul as Erik caught up to him.

"If that illusion makes you feel better, than I will not stop you from thinking such a thing."

"I never have any problems."

"You usually travel by carriage," Erik pointed out.

A shadow suddenly crossed their paths and Erik quickly fell behind in step. But as Paul slowed, a very tall man with ragged clothes was approaching. He had black hair with an unshaven face. Uneasiness set in as the man stopped to look at Paul. His eyes seemed to be as black as the night.

"May I help you?" asked Paul when the stranger blocked his path only a few feet from him.

The man gave an evil grin. But it quickly disappeared when Erik stepped forth from the shadows. Still behind Paul, Erik's eyes narrowed as he tilted his head down at the man.

"No, just walkin' somewheres," said the man and hastily retreated to the other side of the street. Erik stepped back into the shadows.

Paul smiled and looked behind him. "You see Erik? I am fine."

"Of course," said Erik acting as if he was just walking out for the first time since the stranger had crossed Paul's path.

"Yes of course," said Paul with an air of confidence, "I am not that old. I would be able to defend myself quite easily."

Erik smiled and walked in step with Paul. Arriving in front of the doctor's house, Erik was impressed. It was a very quaint building, warm and inviting. The stone steps outside had been smoothly carved into a curved staircase that led to the door. Entering into the forier, another beautiful curved staircase made out of cherry wood welcomed him. The walls were wallpapered in blue with yellow flowers. Artwork abounded on the walls, beautiful peaceful scenic landscapes brilliant with color. He could also see a library of sorts in the room to the left lined with books from floor to ceiling.

"Erik! What a lovely surprise!" exclaimed Mary. Erik was surprised himself that she was awake at this time of night. She did not even bat an eye with the fact that she was in a nightdress and robe.

"Good evening," he said politely. He was taken aback when she came forward and linked her arm around his, leading the way down the hall.

"I was up checking on a patient staying here and waiting for Paul as usual," she said in a mocking tone.

"You love waiting for me," said Paul behind them as they walked down the hall.

"I have had plenty of practice over the years," Mary said with a laugh. They entered a large dining room, the walls a deep red outlined in gold ornate details on the baseboard trim. "Sit Erik. I will get some nice hot tea to warm you. Let me take your cloak."

"Thank you," Erik replied handing his cloak to her. Paul shrugged his jacket off and Mary seemed to bounce her way back to the kitchen. "She reminds me of Maria at times," Erik said somewhat amused.

"Well I think she misses having guests like we used to. The only guests we have now generally are patients."

"Why is that? Are you really such an outcast?"

Paul smiled. "Yes and no. There are still many we consider as friends and who do occasionally see us. But it is dangerous for even them to be associated with me if they have anything to do with medicine. I could ruin their reputation."

Erik shook his head while standing up and walking over to the fireplace to warm his hands. "I am glad none of it stops you from doing what you believe to be right." He studied a painting framed in gold on the wall. It was a small cottage in the Spring with wild flowers abundant throughout the landscape.

"That is our summer cottage I was telling you about. The one you and Laurette will use after you are married." Paul said it mater of face, as if he were giving Erik no choice in the matter.

Studying the painting Erik knew Laurette would love such a place. It was peaceful and full of life, exactly what they both needed to be left alone. He closed his eyes just for a moment, silently wishing such a dream would come true. A dream to be alone with her and no fear of Monsieur Garier or anyone else trying to take her away from him ever again.

For the remainder of the evening Erik found himself feeling some actual happiness as he talked into the night with Paul and Mary. He held Laurette's ring in his jacket pocket, close to his heart. This was a home truly of love as he enjoyed listening to Mary's laughter and Paul's teasing. They were two people who truly enjoyed life, no matter what others thought. He respected them greatly.

In the early morning hours Erik climbed into his own bed, grateful that there was no rehearsal tomorrow. Thoughts of Laurette swirled in his head and he closed his eyes.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"DIOS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" exclaimed Maria's voice from the kitchen.

A few days had now passed and Erik was eating breakfast when he was startled to hear her yell followed by a loud crash. He jumped up from the table and went into the kitchen. There on the floor covered in flour was Philippe looking scared to death and trying to scramble to his feet but kept slipping on the slick floor.

Maria was cursing in Spanish and upon seeing Erik she silenced herself. "I am so sorry Monsieur! I will clean this up immediately! He was standing on a chair reaching up to that shelf when I came in and everything just fell. I am so sorry!"

Erik held up his hand for her to quiet and glared down at Philippe. "What were you doing?"

Philippe did not respond, still wildly trying to stand up so he could escape. Erik stepped forward and easily pulled him up with one arm, holding him steady.

"Well?" he asked.

Philippe hesitated but then looked back up at the shelf. Erik followed his gaze and saw an envelope tucked behind a large jar, miraculously the only item that had not fallen off the shelf. He reached up and retrieved it. The outside of the envelope had Maurice's name on it in a woman's writing.

"Were you trying to hide this from Maurice?" Erik demanded. He couldn't stand to think if someone had hid one of Laurette's letters.

Philippe of course did not respond but Erik was surprised when he snatched the envelope from his hand and tried to run. Erik firmly held him in place.

"Answer me," he demanded.

Phillip's face turned angry for the first time and he glared at Erik. But this only made Erik even more frustrated. "I will not have you trying to purposefully destroy a relationship between your brother and a woman out of your jealousy."

Philippe straightened and suddenly thrust the envelope at Erik. Surprised, he took the envelope and saw that it was indeed open. Philippe was motioning for him to read it. Erik hesitated, unsure if he should be reading something so private but it was obvious Philippe was trying to tell him something. Carefully unfolding the letter, Erik read:

_My Dear Maurice,_

_I do not know where to begin. I am trying to do the right thing by telling this to you. My feelings have changed and I am finding myself in love with someone else. It is so painful to tell you this and absolutely insane. But I can no longer see you as I would be lying to you. I am only torturing myself being with you and seeing him around you. As I am an artist, perhaps it is because I have so much in common with your brother. I am so sorry. Please do not be mad at him. I am returning to my sister's home, far away where I can continue to concentrate on my painting without further distractions._

_Goodbye,_

_Francesca_

Erik was in complete shock and looked at Philippe who was turning red. "Were you intimate with her?"

Philippe gave Erik a look of horror. Wriggling free of Erik's grasp, he dusted himself off and walked over to a counter where he found a nearby pen. He cautiously approached Erik and held out his hand. Erik gave the letter back to him and Philippe turned it over and wrote:

_I swear I did not return her affection. She has already left town. Please do not let my brother find out I was the reason why. _

First, Erik was surprised that Philippe could even write. He shook his head. "I do not think your brother would be angry at you," he said gently. But he saw Phillip's pleading eyes and Erik sighed. "Alright," he said and looked up at Maria's puzzled face. "Get Philippe a plate so he can have something to eat."

Erik walked back into the dining room with Philippe hesitantly following. Maria looked disapprovingly at him but set down a plate and allowed him to pile huge amounts of food onto his plate. He seemed to inhale it all within moments.

"Do you ever eat?" asked Erik astonished as he watched him reach out for a second helping. He was rewarded with a simple grin while shrugging. Erik shook his head but now he could understand Phillippe's mood these last few weeks, especially when his brother's endearment was wrongfully showing him such interest.

"There you are!"

Erik looked up to see Maurice standing in the doorway. "I cannot believe you are in here! Maestro, I am so sorry."

Erik held up his hand. "It is alright. Sit down Maurice."

He glared at his brother and sat down beside him.

"Why wasn't I invited?"

Erik sighed as Justine came in and pulled up a chair.

"What the hell are you doing here so early?" asked Andre to Justine walking in.

"I thought I'd try to take some pointers on singing from you of course," said Justine with a grin as he reached out and took a muffin.

"You wish," scoffed Andre sitting down.

Erik was now irritated but when he looked up and saw Maria's stony face, he laughed. They all became silent and stared at him.

"I think that is the first time you have actually laughed in front of us," said Justine smiling.

"Well it will not become a habit I assure you," replied Erik.

"And neither will all of you eating breakfast here each morning," said Maria in a low voice.

"Oh Maria, you said yourself that he needs company once in a while," said Justine.

Maria's face turned crimson and Erik felt obligated to scold his servant. "Maria, I suggest you go and prepare more food for what you have only encouraged." She looked so upset that Erik stood up and stopped her before she left to go into the kitchen. "I was teasing," he said quietly so the others could not hear. "Without Laurette, you knew what I needed."

With tears in eyes she gave him a small smile and hurried off into the kitchen.

"You aren't really angry at her are you?" asked Justine who was clearly ready to defend his adopted mother as he watched Erik sit back down.

"No."

"Oh…well, you better not be. There is no one else that you could find to replace her."

"Of course not," replied Erik.

"My, aren't we defensive?" teased Andre.

"Shut up Andre."

"Stop," muttered Erik, "Or I shall make you both take over Maria's cleaning chores instead of giving you lessons."

"Maurice how is that beauty of yours?" asked Justine suddenly.

"She seems to have disappeared," said Maurice sadly. "I stopped by her home but she is gone. I suppose it was for the best as she seemed rather distant from me lately anyway."

Philippe shifted uncomfortably.

"Wow, you must have done something pretty bad to run her off like that," said Justine as he stuffed another muffin in his mouth.

"Yes, you would be the expert on such a topic," said Erik in a low voice.

"Oh they don't run _from_ me, I just run from woman to woman."

"Yes, you run from them before they see what you really are. Otherwise they would be running from you while screaming."

They all stared at Erik for a moment and suddenly burst out laughing and Justine turned red. "Oh fine, fine, Maestro. At least I know when a woman is interested in me."

The room became very quiet.

"And just what do you mean by that?" asked Erik in a low tone.

"Well, Madame Duprey is always…," he hesitated as Erik narrowed his eyes at him.

Andre cleared his throat to quickly interrupt. "Um, Maestro, has my Uncle mentioned to you that he has been getting some help to persuade the board to take away Doctor Fornier's license?"

This definitely pleased Erik. "No, but I am delighted to hear such a thing."

"Well, after he had bled her that one time without his permission, my Uncle enlisted the help of the Count de Chagny. He has some very powerful influence in a number of social circles.

Erik suddenly did not feel like eating. He did not need Raoul to be fighting anymore of his own battles for Laurette. "I think it is time we moved to the theater," he said rather harshly.

Uncertain as what he had said wrong, Andre nervously stood up along with the others and made their way out of the room. Philippe lingered behind and bowed to Erik, thanking him for his silence on the issue with Maurice. Erik waved him off and warily got up from the table. It was going to be another very long day without Laurette.

But Erik was shocked when he walked into the theater and found Laurette herself smiling widely at him. He was so taken aback that he stood for a moment unsure of what to do. It took him every ounce of restraint not to rush forward and take her into his arms.

"He is speechless," said Justine with a smirk from up on the stage.

"Oh yes, your reaction was far better Justine," said Andre. "_'Oh Madame Duprey how I missed you!'_" he mimicked.

Justine punched Andre in the ribs. "My voice doesn't sound like the girl sound you can make you dolt."

"I see things have not changed," said Laurette smiling.

"No, you can see my obvious failure," replied Erik with his heart suddenly soaring.

"Your obvious failure to hold back real talent," laughed Justine.

"Both of you should show far more respect," said Dion harshly.

"Oh Dion come down from that pedestal. We are showing respect. We are showing how much we miss her," said Justine smiling.

"Perhaps it would be better to show me your progress in this production," said Laurette. She moved up the aisle toward Erik who found his heart now pounding. She wore a royal blue satin dress of exquisite silk with a rather low cut neckline that no doubt Monsieur Garier had forced her to wear. Erik had no thoughts except to somehow plant hot kisses right in the cleavage. He was wishing she wasn't smiling and instead giving him another argument they could settle backstage alone.

"What are you doing here?" he asked trying to make sure his voice wasn't strained.

"Monsieur Garier had to go pay a visit to the family of the Duchess. He certainly did not want me to come along and he had to cancel a number of his engagements with me."

Erik could see her face looked far too pale for his liking as she came closer. "Perhaps you should take the opportunity to get some rest." He said this sincerely but his damn brain was thinking about her in the bed with him. He cursed himself.

"Erik?"

He realized she was right before him and he had been staring off into another world. The Company was looking at him. In aggravation he glared at Joseph. "Madame Duprey asked to see how the production is coming along, so start with Justine as she suggested."

"Oh…yes, of course," said Joeseph. The musicians scurried to their seats while Justine casually walked to his place on stage.

"You did not need to be so harsh," Laurette said quietly.

Erik said nothing but motioned her to sit and then sat down beside her. As the music began he leaned over to her. "We will end rehearsal early."

She looked at him and gave a smile that made his body immediately respond. He was dying to kiss her, to touch her hair and feel her skin. He stiffened and forced himself to watch the performance.

By afternoon he and Laurette found themselves alone in the Music Room during the break reviewing some of the score. Erik made no attempt to act upon his earlier lustful thoughts as he very suddenly wanted this evening to be perfect. He had already instructed Maria to make a special dinner and wanted the room lit with candles. He wasn't sure if he would have the nerve to ask Laurette in the end to be his with a ring, but he was going to have every intention to do so.

But Laurette had other ideas as they bent over the score. She quite suddenly leaned in close and brushed her lips against his. It was not a full kiss but a teasing sensation that made Erik shudder.

"I missed you," she whispered and her eyes looked right into his.

Erik straightened abruptly and walked over to the piano. Sitting, he calmed himself and looked at her. "You know I missed you also," he said quietly.

Then he was shocked as she strode over and sat down, not beside him at the piano, _but right in his lap_. She snuggled up against him, leaning back and kissing his neck. "Perhaps we should talk about the score more in my room."

Erik said every curse he knew to himself. He knew she could feel his arousal as his clothes were uncomfortably tight. He placed his hands on her hips with the intention to move her off of him, but his thoughts were of images that he rather liked this position and was quite eager to try it out.

He shook his head trying to regain his senses and moved her off of him. "I think we should wait until later," he said almost hoarsely.

"Why?"

"I…it would be better."

She looked at him for a moment in complete disbelief and Erik held his breath. If she leaned over and kissed him again, he would be unable to resist.

Instead she shrugged. "If you wish. You are not angry at me are you?"

"No!" replied Erik sharply. Her eyes widened a bit at his tone and he laughed lightly. "It has nothing to do with that. I just want…I want to be with you when I can take my time."

She smiled in return with a slight blush in which he was happy to see some color in her face. He leaned down and kissed her which he cursed himself again as he knew better than to do so. Her mouth was so warm and inviting that it was all he could do not to throw her on the floor and take her right there in the Music Room. He pulled away and stalked off to the far side of the room.

"I doubt we will take our time even when we do have the time," said Laurette laughing.

Erik did not find it amusing. He wanted to show her his complete love, to make the physical act emotional so that it left her knowing his true soul as it was meant to be, before the darkness had taken him. How he was meant to be with her.

"Let's return to the theater," he said gruffly. Her smile disappeared and she stood up to gather the score. He thought about giving her a reassuring embrace but threw out that thought immediately as it would only make things worse.

The day seemed to drag on. Erik should have been thrilled sitting with Laurette, but all he could think of was getting rehearsal done. When he could not take it any longer, he motioned to Gautier to end rehearsal.

"But Maestro, we have more than a few hours left," protested Gautier. Erik could not help himself and glared at him to which Gautier nervously nodded and walked over to Joeseph. Even Joeseph looked up surprised but when he saw Erik's eyes, he wisely did not even hesitate and dismissed the musicians.

Erik left the theater knowing the cast would linger around Laurette. He found Maria in the dining room.

"Oh! Maestro! Are you finished with rehearsal already? I am not quite finished. I will hurry." At least with Maria Erik did not even need say anything. She knew him too damn well.

Sighing, he walked into Laurette's suite and changed his clothes. Laurette looked far too elegant for him to simply be wearing anything other than a full suit. He selected a vest made of fine silk. Maria, as usual, had exquisite taste and she bought him only the finest materials that he liked. He opened a small drawer in Laurette's vanity and retrieved the ring. It shone before him, dazzling with colors, the diamond in the middle like fire. It was so like Laurette and for a moment, Erik felt the perfect harmony of their souls.

Walking back into the dining room, he watched as Maria finished lighting candles. It was a perfect setting as she had set out an array of roses in every different color. Candles lined the fireplace mantel and the room emulated a soft glow.

"If you would please serve the food now," Erik said quietly.

Maria finished lighting the last candle and looked at him. "Now?"

"Yes."

"Well of course, but Madame is not here yet-,"

"I would like for you to serve the food and then take the rest of the evening off," said Erik in a stern voice.

"Oh…but Monsieur, I should really stay in case you need anyth-,"

"_Maria do as I say!"_

She folded her hands and bowed her head. Erik sighed and scolded himself. He wanted everything to be so perfect and he was taking it out on everyone around him. "I apologize Maria," he said quietly. "I would like…to be alone with Laurette this evening."

She looked up at him and gave a slight smile. "Of course Monsieur. I completely understand."

"Thank you," said Erik and he smiled as Laurette suddenly appeared in the room.

"How lovely. Maria, you are amazing."

"I believe you should thank the Maestro. I will serve you and then take my leave."

"Your leave?"

"I have given Maria the rest of the evening off," said Erik.

"Oh," breathed Laurette looking at Maria. "You deserve some time off. I will make sure to tidy up everything after dinner."

"You will do no such thing!" scolded Maria to the point Erik had to hide a smile. She recomposed herself. "Please Madame, just leave everything and I will get it in the morning."

"But that will mean too much work for you tomorrow Maria. I think-,"

"_I_ hired Maria," interrupted Erik. "And I have dismissed her for the evening. She can put aside other chores tomorrow to catch up. If anything, she is more ahead of schedule as I have seen her dusting the same shelves twice a day."

Laurette frowned but Erik walked over and held out a chair for her. She took a seat and Maria scurried into the kitchen. Before long, all the food was served and they were finally alone.

"I want to thank you for singing for me in your last performance," said Erik quietly.

Laurette fiddled with her wine glass. "I am glad I was able to do it for you," she said in a quiet voice.

"Not only that but it was a song you wrote. And here you said you were not a composer," Erik teased lightly.

She laughed. "I am embarrassed to say it started out as more of a poem and I figured out what music to place with it."

"Most songs are poetry Laurette." He reached out and held her hand. "I had no idea that there was any meaning left for me until you came into my life. I had thought my life was complete. I wasn't sure until you sang that song…how you really felt about me."

She squeezed his hand. "How could you not? You know everything about me Erik. I..I cannot hide anything from you it seems. You love me unconditionally."

Her comment made his heart swell. Here he was the monster being loved unconditionally and all she could think of was how he was the one so accepting of her. He knew she truly loved him.

"Laurette, if it were possible, would you stay forever with me?"

She turned in her chair to face him, her full attention now on him. "If you are asking me to leave Monsieur Garier, I do not think I could refuse you Erik." There were tears in her eyes and her voice was shaking.

Erik shook his head. "I would love nothing more than to ask you such a thing, but I know how much you want to return to directing. Christine is almost ready and we have come so far. We should at least try for your dream."

"I want to be with you forever Erik."

He sharply inhaled as it felt like she had just accepted his proposal even though he did not formally ask. "It would not be the same…I mean, in the sense of a legal marriage in this society of course…,"

Her eyes widened. "Erik, are you asking me to _marry _you?"

"Well…yes, but as I said, it would be if anything something more of a symbol between us. I know a real marriage would not be possible under the cir-," But before he could finish she flung her arms around him and kissed him. Warmth crept through his body and he found himself passionately kissing her in return. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. "I love you," he breathed.

"I love you," she replied with tears now streaming down her cheeks.

Erik was so taken with the moment all he could think of was sweeping her into his arms and carrying her off into the bedroom. But then he remembered the ring and took it out of his jacket.

She stared at it and placed her hands to her mouth. Wiping away a few more tears, she reached out to touch it. "Oh Erik! It is so…so unique!"

"Like you," finished Erik smiling. He placed the ring on her finger which to his delight fit perfectly. "It fits," he said as he caressed her cheek with one of his fingers.

"Of course it does," she said as she still stared at the ring. And she reached up and kissed him.

Erik had enough. His body could not take anymore and he picked her up. Carrying her into the bedroom, he gently laid her down on the bed. He knew he should get the dress off first, but all he cared about at the moment was lying on top of her and touching her face. He caressed her lips with his and then passionately kissed her neck. She was already breathing heavily but Erik refused to give in and took his time. He focused just on her face and neck, stroking her hair with infinite tenderness. When she finally whimpered, he stood her up and untied the dress, slowly taking it off of her. He took his time, kissing her softly and letting his hands roam down the sides of the corset. He madly, slowly, undid each and every tie while she clung to him in desperation until he finally relented and took off his own clothes.

Lowering her to the bed, he marveled at the moment, a man and a woman skin to skin, heartbeat against heartbeat. She loved and accepted him, not the physical monster that she never cared to ask about or see. She loved only him. His face did not matter.

Laurette was silently crying, desperate for release but he continued to feed her growing heat with his gentle caresses. Only when she whispered his name against his lips did he finally find her and became one. He could not help himself as a hoarse cry came from his throat as he took both of them to the edge and fell only to feel as if they were both soaring high together. He held her as aftershocks trembled through their bodies and he looked upon her with loving eyes.

She touched his mask, his chin, his lips, almost as if she were making sure he was there before her. "You are my world," she whispered. "All those years I know now were so dark and empty."

He laughed lightly. "I think it is I who should be saying those words to you Laurette."

They held each other throughout the night with Erik sampling the sweetness from Laurette again and yet again. He felt even more passionate with her now that she was the one thing he always dreamed of – a wife.

Waking in the morning, Erik could see the sunlight trying to burst in from the heavy curtains that were drawn in Laurette's room. He turned his head and buried his face into Laurette's hair, nuzzling her neck.

"What time is it?" she murmured.

"Does it matter?" asked Erik in return as he found the pulse in her throat and kissed it lovingly.

"It does if we are going to make rehearsal."

"I would much rather stay in bed with you all day."

"_Madame?"_

Laurette about jumped out of the bed at the sound of Gautier's voice outside the suite and it took Erik's restraining arm to pull her back down to him. "Do we not have a moment of peace to enjoy ourselves?" growled Erik.

"May I help you?" They heard Maria's thick accent.

"The Maestro has not arrived yet and I saw he was not at breakfast. So I thought I would try to see if Madame Duprey-,"

"Madame Duprey is resting," Maria replied quickly. "Please, if you would kindly return to the theater. I am sure she would want you rehearsing."

They silently listened as it appeared Gautier had walked away. Then to Laurette's shock, Maria strode into the suite. She did not enter the bedroom but walked around in the sitting room, busying herself with getting out fresh clothes for both of them. Erik pulled the covers tightly around him and Laurette. Maria was taking no glances, but he knew she could easily if she wanted to.

"Is there anything I can get for either of you?" she called politely as she shook Erik's jacket out.

Laurette's face was so red that Erik almost laughed. He was quite sure Maria had witnessed by far more intimacy with her prior masters and wives, maybe even affairs. "Not at the moment, thank you," said Erik.

"Are you certain? I could bring a tray. Madame looked so pale last evening."

Laurette shrank next to Erik, burying her head into his chest. To her horror, Erik grinned and said more. "Yes, I think that is an excellent idea. When you return, would you please bring it in here?"

"Of course!"

Erik didn't need to see Maria to know her face was beaming with the excitement that she got to do such a thing, especially a task so accepting their intimacy. She was truly his servant at this point.

When they heard the door close, Laurette scrambled away from him and out of the bed. "I cannot believe you said that to her!"

"I trust Maria with my life. She knows very well about our relationship so why is it an issue?" He was laughing as he watched her yank the white cotton nightgown from her armoire. Her bottom was far too tempting and he reached out and grabbed her. Startled, she yelped and he pulled her down onto the bed, forcing her on her stomach so he could kiss her bottom.

"Erik! Stop! She may come in any moment!"

"She has seen you without clothes already."

"But not you! And certainly not you with…me." Laurette swallowed and pushed him off. She threw the nightgown over her head.

Erik sighed but was deliriously happy at the moment. He looked down and saw the beautiful ring on her finger and realized last night was no dream. "I suppose you would like me to get dressed."

"Yes, that would help."

Erik got out of the bed and walked into the wash room. He donned only a pair of pants and a shirt that he did not bother tucking in. He was quite determined to relax and spend the day with Laurette, right in her bed. Returning, he climbed back into bed.

"I thought you were getting dressed."

"_You_ are not dressed," he teased.

"That is not, I mean, I am a woman so it is different."

"Male servants or butlers usually serve the men by assisting them to dress. I do not have a male servant so this is all I can put on by myself…unless you want to help me," he said with far too innocent of a voice.

Laurette swatted him and he laughed happily, pulling her to him and planting a firm kiss on her rosy lips. "You are terrible," she said.

"Yes, I think I may need help of course taking my clothes back off too."

"I think that can wait."

"I am an impatient man," he said as he nuzzled her neck once more.

Maria practically burst in the door carrying a huge tray. Servant or no servant, Erik leapt up to help her, unsure of how she carried such a heavy load. In response, Maria almost smacked him. "Stop it! I can more than manage. Now, Madame, there is fresh juice and fruit. I do hope you try to eat some of the fresh made bread."

Laurette looked as white as her nightgown. Erik knew without reading her mind the embarrassment she had in the situation with him beside her in the bed. But Maria continued to chatter and fuss, not even making any such notice of the entire situation.

Happily, Erik did spend the day in bed with Laurette. Much to his delight, Maria allowed no one near her suite and she politely knocked the few times she came in to check on them or bring more food. In fact, Maria's personality was overflowing with happiness, as if she understood completely what had happened the evening before. Erik could not help but wonder if she saw the ring on Laurette's finger.

"What will you say if Monsieur Garier sees the ring?" Erik asked suddenly thinking of this. Laurette had her nightgown still on and he had his head in her lap as she read a book.

Laurette shrugged. "It is none of his business."

"He will make it his business."

"Then I will tell him it was my mother's ring."

"On your left hand?"

"Do we have to discuss this right now?"

Sighing heavily and wishing Monsieur Garier was locked up in one of the torture chambers below, Erik squeezed her hand. "You are right. I should not dampen the day with such a thing. You only deserve happiness."

"Yes, well it would make me even happier if I could get the score we left in the music room."

"Oh very well," said Erik with exasperation. He had kept her in bed all day and she deserved at least one moment without him.

Laurette shoved him teasingly off her lap and jumped out of the bed.

"Wait, where are you going?" asked Erik.

"I told you, the Music Room. I will be right back."

She was only wearing her nightgown and he immediately began to worry if someone would see her. But by this time rehearsal was over and the company was gone so he let her leave. He settled back into the pillows and leafed through the book Laurette had left on the bed.

After a while Erik became restless. A few moments of her being gone had turned into a much longer period of time. Laurette was most likely sitting at the piano as she needed it to work on the score. Although her nightgown was long and warm, he began to worry about her getting cold. Then it occurred to him that she most likely had nothing on her feet as well.

Erik got to his feet and put on his shirt and pants in case he ran into Maria. He did not bother to don anything else, actually liking the fact that he could walk around without such formal clothes when the Company was gone.

He padded his way to the Music Room and stopped in his tracks when he heard voices. He soon realized it was another female voice in the room.

"So you would not understand," said the voice who Erik now recognized was Christine. He quickly opened the door. There before him was Christine standing directly in front of Laurette who looked up quite suddenly at him. Her face was visibly upset. While she was not crying, it looked as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment.

"I-I was just leaving," Laurette said, now barely looking at him. She quickly moved across the floor and without another word left behind him.

Erik grew angry at whatever had transpired. "You will show her more respect," he said in a low tone.

Christine slowly turned and looked at him, her eyes roaming over his clothes and Erik realized what she was thinking, especially with Laurette in a nightgown. "I came for my lesson," she said quietly.

Damn! He had completely forgotten about the lesson as he was so taken with Laurette's sudden return. "I think perhaps another time would be better," he said curtly.

"Obviously."

"And just what do you mean by that comment?" demanded Erik. He did not need Christine to destroy Laurette's credibility in any way. Their relationship was none of her business.

"You both certainly seem…comfortable this evening."

"Laurette is still quite ill. Surely you know this from Doctor Charette. She must rest heavily before she can perform again."

"And you just happen to keep an eye on her?" asked Christine raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I do. You should too."

"Me?"

"Yes Christine. Laurette is responsible for you being here at all," Erik said flatly. "I found that she was not in bed and assumed she had come here. She must rest if she is to return you to your status as a singer." He was not going to give in on any discussion regarding his relationship with Laurette. "You cannot return to the stage without her."

"Well I am not her servant to tell her that she needs to be back in bed with something on her feet!" snapped Christine.

Erik's eyes narrowed at her. "What did you say to her before I came in?" he demanded.

"Nothing of importance although she does seem quite taken with you."

"What do you mean?" Erik was growing tired of this conversation. He wanted to go back to bed where Laurette would be waiting for him.

Christine raised her head up high. "She almost appeared smug to me that she knew you better than me."

Erik shook his head. He knew Christine was twisting what had transpired as Laurette would not do such a thing. And it was a silly notion at any point.

"And?" Erik asked impatiently.

"I simply made it known that you and I have a much deeper relationship."

"_Do we?_" asked Erik in suddenly a very low tone.

"Oh Erik, you have to admit that working together once more has been good for both of us. I could never hate you…I could only continue to love you," she said in a weak voice.

So she did love him still. Not in the way Erik had once hoped for, but it was an unconditional love for him and what was. He looked away for a moment and took a breath. "All that matters is for your voice to return to the beauty of music. That is all I have ever wanted since you have come back."

"But there is so much more to life," she whispered. She suddenly moved forward as if to embrace him.

Erik quickly stiffened and took a step back as he eyed her. "Music has always been the purpose of my life until now."

"Until now?"

He was not going to elaborate any further. "We will meet tomorrow evening for your next lesson." He turned quickly and left the Music Room.

To his dismay, Laurette was extremely quiet upon his return. He tried to approach the subject of Christine to see what exchange had been made, but she said nothing. Instead, she kissed him lovingly, pulling him down once more to explore her sweetness.

But the next day did not fare any better. For the first time since Erik had known her, Laurette said she was not feeling well and actually wanted to stay in bed while he led rehearsal. This greatly concerned him and he instructed Maria to call Doctor Charette.

He made it through rehearsal for the most part; leaving as early as he was able and having Gautier take his place. But he became angry when upon reaching Laurette's bedroom as he found she was not there. Heading for the Music Room, he brushed past Maria in the dining room giving her a frown for not keeping an eye on her.

Upon reaching the Music Room, he found Laurette sitting quietly at the piano. "What are you doing here? You should be in bed," he said firmly. But he froze in place when Laurette looked at him with fearful eyes. "What is it? What is wrong?" He came forward to sit with her, wanting to hold her in his arms. But she turned her head from him and stiffened.

"Erik…,"

Had she changed her mind?

"Are you having second thoughts about us?"

"No!" she said sharply looking up at him. Laurette blushed at her sudden reaction and Erik smiled.

"Then what is wrong?"

"No…you will get angry."

"Well," said Erik shifting in his place, "That is certainly a way to begin our conversation that places me at ease."

She managed a weak smile but shook her head. "Erik, I love you as my other half. I-I would never have second thoughts about such a thing…no matter...,"

"Laurette," Erik asked gently, "What is it that you are trying to say?"

She swallowed hard. "You know everything about me Erik," she whispered. "You know my past, my life, my heart and soul."

"And you know my heart as well," said Erik softly. True, there were things he did not want to reveal with his darker side, but he firmly believed his heart was pure when he was with Laurette.

"Yes," she breathed. "But there has been something that still stands between us…,"

"And that is?"

"If I am going to be your wife, I must know all of you," Laurette whispered. Her eyes were on him welling up with tears.

_Oh God!_ It was then Erik knew.

His face.

His anger was quick. "Is this what Christine told you?" he snapped. "That she has seen my face? Can you be that jealous of such a thing?"

"No…Erik…"

"You lied to me." Erik's voice was strained. His hands were curled into fists as he tried to control the anger racing through his bloodstream. "You said that my face did not matter."

She stood up and approached him although Erik was stepping back from her. "Do you not see?" she asked with tears now streaming down her face. "Your face _does not_ matter Erik. Only you. You have to know that with me seeing your face I would still love you. It is the one thing that holds you back in truly believing that I would still accept you."

"No Laurette," said Erik in a thick tone, "It will ruin everything. My face has always led to tragedy every time it has been revealed. I thought we would never discuss this again."

"But do you not see?" cried Laurette. "That is the one thing that is still between us!"

"It is you who choose to see it that way," said Erik feeling disgusted. "I was happy with the way things were."

"But it is not the truth."

"The truth is not always the answer Laurette."

"Erik…,"

"No! I see now that you cannot accept what I am, that my physical appearance does matter to you…I cannot believe you wish to see such a monster. I will not allow such a thing to destroy my life or yours. I have lived my life to the fullest, especially with you. But I will not allow such a thing to be revealed that will only show you what you should have feared all along."

He turned his back on her. Seething with fury, Erik tapped on the secret mirror and walked down below to his former home, refusing to hear Laurette who he left crying.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Shadows fell across the walls against the torches flickering in the darkness. Erik sat in the room where his beloved piano was, but he found he did not have the heart to play it. He had been down below for almost the full day since he had left Laurette crying far above.

Thank God he did not have it worse. He could have found another body here in the depths. There was still no explanation as to the strange deaths. Thinking of this, Erik tried to push the painful memory of Nicole from his mind. There was only one other woman he could think about now.

Laurette.

His world now was her. Erik knew he could not live without her. He no longer could go back to living as he once did. His choice had never been as clear. It was the choice to face Laurette or seek death. For the first time in his life, Erik had the thought that he actually wanted to live. Despite the tumultuous emotions over these past months, Erik had discovered what life was. He understood now what Christine had said. There was so much more to life than music. If anything, music had enhanced his life, not made it his only purpose to live. Erik sat pondering this thought. Ever since he could remember, he used music to hide behind, to avoid the reality that he had to face. That someone could actually accept him. Music had always accepted him. He could do anything he wanted to with it. Change it, mold it, feel it…love it.

But it did not persuade Christine in the end to love him in return the way he once wanted. Music could not be used in that way. Erik could not change that, no matter how hard he tried.

He smiled inwardly for a moment. If anyone had successfully used music in such a way it was Laurette. She tried to control it as much as he did. It was her that could infuriate and fascinate him with how she would change music to her will.

Christine was an instrument that sang music for him. Laurette _created_ music with him.

Erik rubbed the back of his neck, sore from sitting at the piano for such a long time. He loved Laurette. This was his last chance at life or it was his time to end it. Her reaction to his face would be painful, but he would give her the chance to fully know all of him. Knowing her heart as he did, Erik knew Laurette would be distraught with herself if she found that she could not accept him once she saw the dead flesh beneath the mask. For some odd reason, he was now more concerned about her fate if such a thing were to happen. He was grateful for all that she had shown him. He would end his existence with that peace. But what about her? Would she condemn herself for her entire life for not accepting him? He had to find a way somehow so that she would not.

"Erik?"

_Oh God_. It was Laurette's voice he heard echoing through the vaults of darkness. How did Laurette manage to get down to the depths? He bolted from the room, grabbed a torch, and raced to the lake.

"Laurette!"

Silence. If she was dead, Erik vowed to give himself the most painful death he could find.

"_Laurette! Answer me!"_

"Erik?"

He exhaled not realizing he had been holding his breath. He moved to the stairway in which the direction of her voice was heard.

"Laurette, whatever you do, do not move! Do you hear me? Stay where you are! Promise me!"

"Please hurry Erik!"

"I am coming to get you! Stay where you are! _Do not move_!" He was up the first flight of stairs, peering into the darkness. The corridors echoed with a haunted sound of the wind outside the opera house.

"Laurette! Speak to me!"

"Erik? Where are you?"

He changed directions immediately following the voice. "I am coming," he assured her. "Stay where you are!"

He went up another flight of stairs and he instructed her to call out to him again. He followed her voice, turning down the maze of corridors. Erik stopped cold in his tracks. Her voice was coming from an area he knew had a number of deadly traps. This area was too close to his home and he had ensured no one would reach it alive. How she had managed to come this far was a miracle.

Erik cautiously walked along the passageway, stepping over the familiar tripping mechanisms that anxiously awaited a victim. Slowly he turned down another corridor, the torch flickering numerous shadows against the walls.

"Erik!"

And then he saw her. He lunged for her immediately, dropping the torch. She stepped forward.

"_NO!"_

Out of the blackness there was a sudden wisp of air and Erik flung himself on top of Laurette. He heard her muffled cry as he pulled her to him and rotated both of them to one side. A deafening crack landed right beside his head smashing into the wall. This particular trap would have impacted her skull instantly.

But she was safe. He held her as she trembled and wept. Erik practically crushed her in his embrace, hanging onto her for dear life and thanking any possible existence of a god that she had not been killed. He pulled away from her, framing her face with his hands.

"Why? Why did you come down here Laurette?" he asked in a strained voice, still breathing heavily. She did not answer and his response was more frightening as he almost shook her. _"Why?"_ he shouted.

"Because I had to," she sobbed. "Because I love you!"

Erik sighed heavily and embraced her, cradling her head against his chest. "I love you too Laurette," he said now with his voice shaking. He held her for a moment longer and then pulled her chin up to him so that he could claim her mouth. The kiss deepened and in that moment he knew no matter what happened he was at peace.

He broke the kiss and looked at her as she tried to wipe the tears away. "Well," he breathed, "You might as well now join me."

She gave him a faint smile in the darkness and he kissed the wetness of her face. Picking up the fallen torch, he carefully led her down into the depths.

"I was going to return," he said softly as he tightened his hand around hers leading her down the steps. "Did you really think I would not?"

"I…I was so…upset. It was wrong of me to-,"

"No," said Erik sharply and turning around to face her. "You were not wrong Laurette. I was just afraid to face the fear of you not loving me, not loving the monster." Before she could say anything else he quickly turned and led her down to the lake. Crossing it, he came upon his own music room and he took her up the stairs to the entrance.

He led her inside, gesturing with his hand for her to go before him through the door. Erik heard her swift intake of breath. "It is so beautiful," she said with awe in her voice.

Erik tilted his head and scanned the room. As usual it was full of lit candles that emanated a soft glow of light. Books and music scores abounded on many of the shelves. The furniture and piano were as old as time hand carved from the finest elements. "It brings me some measure of peace this room, yes, it is beautiful."

"I especially love all the candles. Like the other evening when you surprised me at dinner."

"I will remember that," said Erik with a smile. If she wanted candles lit every night in her bedroom, he would move heaven and earth to make sure she had it. He gestured for her to sit in a nearby chair but to his delight she of course ignored him and went straight to the piano. Sitting, she caressed the keys as she so often did.

"I have never seen an equal," she murmured softly. She hesitated and then lightly played a melody, testing it.

Erik smiled and sat down on the bench next to her. "It represents the full beauty of what music can be does it not?" He reached out and caressed the keys with her but moved his hand over top of hers.

She looked up at him and then down. "Erik, I am sorry-,"

"I am the one who needs to apologize Laurette."

"No! You were right. Why should I need to see your face? Erik, it was so very wrong of me. The more I thought on what you said, what you mean to me, I would be your wife without ever seeing your face."

Erik laughed quietly. "Thank you Laurette. However, I had already made up my mind to show it to you."

Her eyes widened a bit. "I…you do not have to Erik. You have to believe I mean this."

"And you have to know that as my wife you need to see all of me."

"I do see all of you Erik."

"What is inside of me perhaps," said Erik thinking that she still did not know all the ugliness of what could be his violent nature, "But you do not know all of me physically. If one says that the physical part of another does not matter, they are lying to themselves. Even I know that. You deserve to know what it is that you are committing yourself to."

"Erik-,"

"And if you cannot commit to that, then it is settled. I will give you some time to think it over after you see for yourself. But all I ask of you is in the end not to condemn yourself if you cannot endure it." He now took both of her hands into his. "You have given me so much. I can accept whatever your decision is now. If it is my time to leave this life than I will. But know what peace you brought me. That is all I ask in return."

"You do not have to do this Erik."

"I know. I want _you_ to." He watched as her eyes seemed to widen more and he brought her hands up to his mask, then slowly forced them to encircle the back of his head where the ties were. She was visibly trembling, he could see it. She hesitated, her eyes now holding back moisture that threatened to spill forth.

"I am afraid," she whispered.

"I want you to do this Laurette. Let us face the truth together," he whispered back to her. He was terrified, but he would go through with his decision for her to finally know.

She swallowed hard and slowly he felt her fingers loosening the ties. Her right hand came to front of the mask to hold it in place until she fully untied it. Erik closed his eyes, unable to take in the first recognition of the horrid monster in her eyes. He felt her hands tremble as she removed the mask.

He cringed but she made no sound, no gasp, no scream. When he could not stand it any longer he opened his eyes looking down at her hands holding the mask. Hands that he thought would never be holding such a thing. Ever so slowly he raised his eyes until he met her face.

At once her eyes darted from looking at his face to his eyes. She looked so deeply into them that Erik felt like she was turning his soul over in her mind; as if she were making sure what she was seeing was real. And then….

_She smiled._

Erik quickly looked away, grabbing the mask from her and replacing it. He could not look at her. He could not let her see the tears forming, to hear the strangled cry that threatened to break from his very throat. But her hands turned his head and he was staring once more into her eyes as tears spilled down her cheeks. _And she was still smiling_.

"_I love you,"_ she whispered.

If there were two memories Erik could only choose, it would be his first kiss with Christine and now this moment with Laurette. No longer could he hold back and Erik broke down. She held him and wept with him.

And then they were kissing, hard and hungry. Erik had never wanted her more than this moment. A little too roughly he picked her up and carried her to his bedroom. He went down on the bed with her, tearing at her blouse without care. Laurette didn't seem to be frightened by his actions. On the contrary, she was being just as harsh with jerking off his jacket and shirt.

Finally with his skin touching hers, Erik kissed every curve, every indentation on her body. He marveled at the beauty of physical softness a woman held. And yet he wanted her even more for her mind, for her complete acceptance of him. No longer was the choice of death before him. Instead the path ahead was full of life and he buried himself in it.

Laurette cried out as he joined them together and Erik passionately kissed her lips into silence. She was clawing at his back, holding onto him as if her life depended on it. Her pleasure brought him intense satisfaction and he felt his body harden even further. He wanted to slow down, to be gentle, but there was no holding back under the circumstances. Erik felt her shudder and then another muffled cry came from her lips as he kissed her, followed by his own hoarse voice before collapsing on top of her.

Shaking, they both lay in each other arms. Erik turned onto his side to take his weight off of her and he kissed her head, her eyes, and her lips. He pulled away looking into those sapphire blue eyes that seemed to glitter back at him.

"You never have to wear the mask around me now," she whispered.

Erik let out a slight breath, burying himself into her neck and inhaling her hair. "I think until I come to terms with what has happened, I would prefer to leave it on." He felt her nod and Erik tightened his embrace, the joy and grief threatening to spill over from his heart. There was no release that would ever compare to this night.

Night.

Damn!

"What time is it Laurette?"

"I think it is early evening by now."

"Christine will be here. We need to go back up to your suite."

"Our suite."

Erik laughed lightly. "Yes, our suite."

He eased himself from her and helped her up. Searching on the floor he found Laurette's blouse only to find some of the buttons were now missing as he put it on her.

She looked at him and laughed.

"I must remember that women have delicate clothes next time," he said grinning. He tied the blouse together and helped her to step into her skirt. After quickly dressing himself, Erik soon found himself and Laurette nearing the Opera House up above. The rooms were silent but he could hear the clock in her suite chiming. Christine would soon in fact arrive. He quietly took Laurette through the music room; its fireplace blazing which Erik knew would give Laurette some temporary heat until they reached her suite.

"Tomorrow I leave again Erik."

He stopped cold in his tracks and turned to face Laurette, about to argue with her. But he saw her eyes so full off sadness that he wanted to instill hope instead of anger. "Christine is nearly ready," he said framing her face with his hands. "Soon you will be director once more and I will never again allow you to leave my side." Tears glittered in her eyes and he bent down to taste her lips once more. Despite just having her moments ago, Erik felt his hunger rising once more and he deepened the kiss.

Just one more small taste…

_"I knew it!"_

Startled, Erik broke away to look up and find Christine in the doorway of the music room. "I knew you were teaching her! Or is it possible that she is using you just as she does with all the other men? She is nothing! She doesn't love you! Do you not see? She never will!"

Fury engulfed Erik. For the last few months he had endured Christine's behavior. His tolerance had come to an end.

"She is nothing but a whore using you for her needs!"

Erik looked at Laurette. "_That does it." _

And then he turned and lunged at Christine. She screamed but he caught her before she could run. Shackling her wrist, Erik dragged Christine out of the Music room while she screamed. He ignored Laurette's cries to stop and he shut the door, jamming it so that she could not follow them.

Christine fought him as he continued to drag her along, barely letting her keep her feet on the floor. "Stop Erik, please! No! Let me go! Erik! Stop!"

He ignored her, barely aware of her struggles as a red haze seem to cloud his mind. His anger coursed through him and he had a feeling of power once more. He wanted to snap every bone in Monsieur Garier's body. He wanted to wrench Raoul's neck. And he was sure he could think of a few other things for Justine.

Then he heard music…a familiar melody.

It was the song Laurette so often played on the piano. She was playing it for him, soothing him, anchoring him to reality. He stopped and looked at Christine. Tears streaming down her face, she looked at him with bewilderment. Her hair was now disheveled from his forceful pulling, her eyes blackened from the running of her makeup with her tears.

But her eyes turned once more to anger. "Do what you want then! What do you want to do? Do you want to hurt me for my choice? Go on then! Do what she most likely has always wanted you to do and get rid of me!"

They were close to the backstage and Erik suddenly began to forcefully drag her once more. Shocked into realizing that he took her seriously, Christine began to scream once more. He pulled her in front of him, one hand behind her neck, the other holding her shoulder. Then he shoved her so hard she spiraled forward, landing hard on the stage.

"Look at it Christine," Erik said in a low voice.

Sobbing, she raised her head and realized she was looking from the stage into the empty theater seats.

"Do you remember the first time I heard you sing? The first time you sang on this stage?"

She did not reply.

_"Answer me!"_ he demanded.

"Y-yes," she responded in a shaking voice.

"Why did you sing?"

"I don't know…,"

_"WHY?_ Why did you come here? Why did you get up on this stage when no one was here and sing? _Why Christine?_"

He had heard her that night, when the audience had been long gone, the stage empty. He remembered as if it were yesterday when he barely paid attention to the young girl who had lingered behind; the young girl who had so suddenly started to sing to his astonishment.

"_Tell me!"_ he demanded again.

"I…I wanted to sing."

"Why?"

"For my f-father. I wanted to sing for him." She bowed her head on the stage crying softly.

"No Christine. That is not the only reason. Why did you sing that night?" She did not answer and he swiftly walked over and reached down. Grabbing her neck, he forced her head to look at the empty theater. She gasped and clawed at his hand on her throat. "_NO!_ Look at it Christine! Tell me why you had to sing here? _Tell me now!"_

"Because I loved music," she whispered. And with that admission she went limp under his hold, sobbing uncontrollably. He released his harsh grasp and sank down on the stage next to her.

"Yes Christine," he said now softly to her. "You loved music." He slowly lifted her chin up to him. "You still do."

"But…," she paused trying to regain her control, her voice broken from grief.

"What Christine? I am here for you. I always have been."

"But you do not love _me _anymore!" she suddenly cried turning her face away. It was an admission that she needed him and it took his breath away. Erik let out a sigh and bowed his head.

"I will always love you Christine," he said softly.

"But you love her," she whispered in a strained voice.

"Yes," he said with a feeling of almost relief in admitting it to her. "I love Laurette."

For a few moments she said nothing and he could hear her quietly crying. She was trying to wipe the tears away, trying to regain her composure. But Erik reached out once more and turned her face to his.

"Look at me Christine. I will always love you. You were right about us having a bond. No one else could ever understand what you and I shared together." He paused. "Except for Raoul and Laurette. They unselfishly brought us together to help us. Even I have to admit I can see that act alone says it all in how much Raoul loves you."

"I-I know," said Christine in a shaking voice. "But, does Laurette truly love you Erik? She wants only to be director again."

"She wants to be with me again," Erik corrected. "She has already admitted that she is willing to give up her insane plan to be with me. But it is too late as now I love her and I want to give her the dream she has always wanted. Love does that, does it not?"

Christine let out a small laugh for a moment, flashing a genuine smile at Erik. She knew he was talking about her own dream she wanted once so long ago and what great lengths he did to let her have the dream she wanted.

"She is going to be my wife."

Christine sharply looked up at him while Erik's eyes remained calm and steady on her face.

"She smiled when she saw my face," he said so softly that she leaned closer to hear.

"Then she did what I first could not," she replied quietly.

Erik sighed again, his eyes still locked with hers. "But you will always be my angel of music Christine."

He could see she tried to hold back, but a smile escaped from her sad face. "No," she laughed. "It has always been you that has guided me."

"Christine," he said quietly, "Do you not see? Your father may be in you, even I may be in you, but it is you alone who bring forth that beautiful voice. No one else can force such beauty. You are the one who creates that voice from deep within you. You must trust in that."

She was silent for a moment and then she looked into his eyes. "I still do love music Erik. I've just been so afraid. I-I didn't fit in with what they wanted. I tried to be what they wanted."

"And it almost destroyed you in the end," said Erik harshly. He hated Raoul for another moment as he should have been there to protect her. She had been a mere child, too innocent to understand such evil ways of society. "You can only be what you are Christine. You have to be strong enough with yourself, with who you are."

She gave him a small smile. "I know."

"You can do this, but this time only for the right reasons."

"I am happy for you Erik."

He let out a slow breath. "Thank you Christine."

"I am. I was just…," she laughed slightly; "I suppose I was jealous. You always paid attention to only me."

"You have no idea how much I would have wanted to hear that at one time in my life." She actually giggled in response and he could not help but grin at her.

"Yes, well, you did treat me as if I were the only woman in the world."

"You _were_ the only woman in my world," he agreed.

"But you still do not like Raoul."

"No," Erik admitted.

"Well I have to admit that I am not completely fond of Laurette. Not only does she have your full attention but she has an amazing voice. No wonder I am jealous."

"Why do you persist on putting yourself down Christine?" asked Erik. "Even Laurette knows you have a finer voice than she."

"She could sing anywhere in the world."

"Laurette has no desire to sing."

Christine looked at Erik in surprise. "But why?"

Erik hesitated. "She does not openly share her personal life."

"Is that why you did not tell me about your relationship with her?"

"Yes," Erik said quietly. "And we would rather remain…professional in front of the cast."

"You did not trust me to keep it a secret to them." Erik looked away and she gave a deep sigh. "Not that I cannot blame you. I have been so unhappy and bitter. I think I may have done the same if I were you. But I promise you Erik, I will not give away your secret or your relationship with Laurette. Please trust me."

"I do Christine. You would never intentionally hurt me just as I would not hurt you." He shook his head. "Little does it matter at this point. The cast is already guessing at our relationship."

"Love does tend to show through," said Christine smiling.

"Yes, well I may not have love or a wife for that matter if I do not get back to the Music Room and release her." Erik stood up and then bent down to hold out his hand to Christine. She smiled up at him and gently placed his hand in his. Pulling her up, Erik straightened. But as he turned to leave still holding Christine's hand, she firmly stood in place.

"I am going to stay here for a while."

"You are sure?"

She was looking out into the empty theater. "Yes," she breathed, "This is my music lesson for tonight."

He slowly nodded in approval and touched her face. Then he turned and quietly left the stage.

Arriving at the music room, he unlocked the door. Laurette stood up from the piano looking at him in dismay. "Where is Christine?"

And suddenly there was a voice echoing throughout the opera house in a melody. Sweet and pure, the voice raised to the heights of the heavens. Laurette was astonished. "Is that-,"

"Christine," said Erik simply. He held out his hand to her, holding his breath that she would not fear him after what had just transpired. His answer came with Laurette swiftly taking his hand and embracing him. Erik's arms wrapped around her in response. And then he tipped up her chin to once again taste the sweetness he craved while the echoing of Christine's melodic voice floated through the air.

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Erik winced as the morning light shown through the windows of the dining room. He made his way to the table and quietly sat down in his darkened seat. Maria was her usual self, bustling in and out with food while trying to persuade Erik to eat everything. He waved her off and she gave her usual fake frown, trumping off into the kitchen.

He sighed heavily. So much had happened the last few days and now with things somewhat better, Erik was depressed with the knowledge he would not be able to savor this time. Laurette was leaving this morning and it weighed on his mind. Christine's voice last night with her admission to loving music had been the first real sign to Erik that she was so close to being ready to return to the stage. But he knew her confidence was still not completely there. Now that she knew Laurette had his heart, Christine had to still believe in herself, not just sing to please him or anyone else.

Laurette came quietly into the room with Maria and he looked up. He was shocked to find that her face was extremely pale and he immediately cursed himself for not giving her more rest last night. He quickly walked over and helped her to sit down. She smiled at him wearily and gave a sigh as she watched Maria pile food upon her plate.

"Eat," said Maria firmly before returning back to the kitchen. Laurette looked down at her plate in dismay.

"You must eat something if you are going to keep up any strength you have left Laurette," said Erik gently. He wanted to carry her back to bed and keep her there. He was holding onto a thread by this point to allow any of this to continue with Monsieur Garier.

"I-I cannot. I am afraid if I eat anything I will become sick," she admitted.

"I will make sure Dr. Charette visits with you as soon as possible."

Laurette nodded in response only tightening the knot in Erik's stomach as he watched her spirit dying before him, too weak to argue any further about the truth with her health. This was his wife, the one woman he should be protecting.

"I want to take his life Laurette."

She sharply looked up at him which made him feel extremely conscious of his soul once more. She knew he was speaking of Monsieur Garier but he could not withhold himself any longer.

"Death will not solve anything Erik."

"If it means keeping you here I think it does."

"And then what? I certainly do not have the money to buy the Opera House even if I wanted to! I have little doubt it would matter as Monsieur Garier has many other close friends he would ensure the ownership would pass on to." She shuddered for a moment. "Friends such as Monsieur Leduc."

She was right of course. Erik looked away, still trying to hang onto his sanity of the entire situation.

"We can do this." It was more of a statement that was looking for his reassurance and he hesitated. "If I do die," she said quietly, "I have no regret. I have achieved far more than what I ever thought. And you were more than I had ever thought was even possible. You have given me the ultimate gift Erik. I never would have believed that I could love, much less even feel such physical pleasure with a man." She blushed after having said this, looking down at her plate.

"You know it is the same for me," Erik replied quietly. "I just…do not want it to end nor do I wish to stand by and watch you suffer."

"It is you who keeps my spirit alive Erik. Even if my body cannot."

There was no winning this argument with her and he simply reached over and held her hand. "I will always be with you Laurette." She gave a little smile that warmed his heart and was about to say something with Raoul suddenly flew into the room.

"_Where is she_?" he demanded.

Erik straightened but did not let go of Laurette's hand. "Christine?"

"Who else?" he snapped.

"You did not pick her up after last evening's lesson?"

"I tried but she was not in the Music Room. I thought maybe she had left as she had one time before when you so kindly forgot about her lesson. But when I returned to the hotel she was not there." His face turned from anger to extreme worry.

Erik stood and gently helped Laurette up. "I think I know where she still may be."

"_Still?_"

He nodded and placing Laurette's arm around his, Erik led the way to the theater. It was still quite early and none of the Company had arrived. He crossed the backstage with Raoul following and then emerged onto the main stage.

And there was Christine, asleep on the stage.

"Damn you!" shouted Raoul as he rushed forward. Erik watched with calmness as Raoul dropped to his knees and cradled Christine in his arms. "I cannot believe you left her here!"

"Raoul?" murmured Christine sleepily. She suddenly opened her eyes wider as she realized Erik and Laurette were standing not far away.

"What were you doing here? I have been frantic," said Raoul burying his face in her hair.

She embraced him in return and looked up at Erik who pulled Laurette closer to him. Christine flushed. "I…I am fine. Do not be angry at him Raoul, it was my idea."

"Your idea? _To sleep on a stage?_"

"Well no, actually, I just…lost track of the time and after I sang for a while I became tired."

"And he left you here."

"Raoul…,"

"Get up Christine," said Raoul as he got to his feet and leaned down to take her arm. She took his hand and slowly rose up. Holding her, Raoul turned to Erik. "And you asked _her_ to treat Madame Duprey with more respect! Is this how you demonstrate your respect in return? She is my wife. A Countess does not sleep on a stage!"

"And a _Countess_ does not _sing _on the stage," replied Erik coolly. His hatred of this man was beginning to emerge despite his effort to remain calm.

Raoul let go of Christine and strode up to Erik who straightened to his full height. Despite the fact that he was by far taller than Raoul, the Count held his ground coming dangerously close to Erik.

"Let us get one thing straight," Raoul said in a low voice. "If you begin to put her through such turmoil I will not stand by and watch." He looked at Laurette. "You may be able to stand by and watch the one you love slowly deteriorate but I will not do the same with Christine."

Erik sharply grew tense and actually took a step forward but Laurette restrained him with her arm. "The same can already be said for you with Christine. It is obvious what little support you gave her in adapting to society," gritted Erik through his teeth. He was fully ready to throw Laurette aside and demonstrate to Raoul the true definition of fear and pain.

"Fitting in society is one thing," said Raoul and then he glanced at Laurette. "Letting someone die in front of you is another."

"And you think the same cannot be said of your treatment with Christine?" demanded Erik.

"What?"

"Do you think the body can live without the spirit?" asked Erik in a bitter tone.

Raoul actually stepped closer to Erik. "Living only for music in life is not the meaning of the spirit or haven't you learned that by now?"

_That does it; I am going to break his neck._

Laurette stepped between them.

_Damn. Damn. Damn._

"Raoul, please," said Christine from behind him.

Laurette pushed her back into Erik and she drew his arm up around her waist. He enveloped her in his embrace, crushing her to him as he watched Raoul with dangerous eyes. As usual Laurette was the only thing preventing him from pain that Erik was longing to inflict on him.

"Maestro?" Maria's voice came into the theater as she cautiously approached the stage.

Erik took a deep breath trying to calm himself. "Yes?"

"I-I am sorry Monsieur, but he is here."

"Who is here?" asked Christine.

"Monsieur Garier," whispered Laurette.

Erik closed his eyes for a moment.

"I am supposed to…he is waiting for Madame in the dining room," said Maria shifting in her place nervously.

Without a word Laurette slowly released herself from Erik's embrace. But as she began to pull away, Erik held onto her and turned her to face him. Not caring that Christine or Raoul could see, he tipped up her chin and bent down to kiss her in sorrow.

When he pulled away Erik saw she was beginning to cry. He cupped her face with both of his hands. "I cannot…live through this," whispered Erik with a strained voice.

"I live in you," Laurette whispered back. She reached up, kissed him, and then she turned and fled the stage with Maria hurrying after her.

Erik stood there with his fists clenched. He did not want to look up at Raoul to face his eyes that condemned him for letting Laurette go. He wanted to be far away from everyone, the feeling to isolate himself beginning to emerge.

"I am so sorry Erik," he heard Christine whisper. He looked up to see her eyes full of sorrow. Even Raoul's face seemed to have softened for a moment. Without a word Erik turned and walked off the stage to a secret door in the wall behind the curtain.

"I have to sing Raoul. I need to do this for him after all that he gave me."

Erik heard Christine's pleading voice to her husband and he kept walking, not caring to hear Raoul's response. One he found the entrance to the dining room, peering in he could see Laurette was already gone, which was just as well since Erik most likely would have strangled Monsieur Garier if he had seen him.

"Oh Maestro!" Maria jumped as he emerged so suddenly.

"I am sorry," replied Erik, "I did not intend to startle you."

She put her hand up to her heart as if trying to calm it. "No, I am glad you returned. Are you going to eat breakfast now?" she asked looking at him hopefully.

"No, I am going to lie down for a while."

"Are you not feeling well?"

In truth, Erik was not. And he suddenly felt like it was more than just depression. His body felt achy and his head felt light headed. "I am not. Maria, please tell Gautier that I will not be down today."

She nodded. "I will call Doctor Charrette also."

"No, tell Paul that he needs to visit Laurette as soon as he can." Maria was about to protest but Erik put up his hand. "Please Maria, she is in more need than I am."

She bit her lip but nodded.

Erik returned to Laurette's bedroom, no, _their_ bedroom and lay down on the bed. He slept for such a long time he was startled when he opened his eyes and found that it was night. He struggled to sit up in the bed but his head hurt and Erik realized he seemed to be quite sick. He gave up and laid his head on the pillow. Time seemed to pass without him noticing and Erik wasn't sure if he had been dreaming when Maria came in at one time and had removed some of his clothes. She tried to get him to eat, but Erik's stomach refused to even think of food or drink. Instead he buried himself further into the bed, only embracing unconsciousness.

"Open your eyes Erik."

He heard the voice and ignored whoever it was.

"If you do not even try then I have half the mind to let Mary pour water over your head rather than down your throat."

Erik slowly, painfully opened his eyes to see Doctor Charette standing over him. His face was actually looking quite worried. Mary was piling blankets on the bed.

"Feeling quite ill are we?"

Erik thought this was a ridiculous question coming from a doctor and he suddenly struggled to lift his head.

"I do not think so Erik. You are going to stay lying down for a while. You are lucky your fever did not go much higher as you seemed to have caught a bad virus. Laurette told me you had spent some more time down below. You should know better. The environment up here is quite different and your body cannot adapt back to the damp, cold depths below when you have been staying up here."

Erik did not feel like a lecture. "How…is….Laurette?" he asked struggling with his voice.

"I think for now we should concentrate on you," replied the doctor quietly as he took out some medication from his bag and handed it to Mary. She poured a glass of water and began to mix in a small amount.

"But you…did see her?" asked Erik frowning as Mary began to hold the glass to his lips as Paul supported him to sit up.

"Yes Erik I saw her. Now drink."

Once finished, he suddenly pushed himself up and managed to get into a sitting position.

"Erik…"

"I am tired of lying down. I can sit like a normal human."

Paul shook his head. "You are as worse of patient as Laurette." His face fell for a moment. "Well actually I wish she would fight with me more as she used to do." He changed the subject before Erik could ask. "Fine. Since you are sitting up I suppose I could let your visitors see you. But they cannot stay long."

Visitors?

"Who-,"

"Oh Erik I have been so worried about you!" said Christine who ran into the room. Before he could say anything she threw her arms around him. He closed his eyes for a moment feeling the warmth of her embrace and then opened them to find Raoul looking harshly at him.

"What are you doing here?" asked Erik pulling away from her.

"The other day after you left, well, we returned to speak with you about Laurette. And then Maria said you were sick and she was very worried. She had tried to get in touch with Doctor Charette repeatedly to come but he was out of town. So Raoul helped by getting in touch with a colleague near Monsieur Garier's estate so he could be notified about your condition."

Erik glared at Raoul. He did not need any 'help' from this man. "I am fine Christine."

"Do not let him fool you," said Doctor Charrette frowning at him. Erik frowned back and Paul tilted his head. "Mary and I will leave you so we can get something to eat after the long night. But then we will return and you need to rest." He looked firmly at Christine who nodded.

"You traveled all the way back here last night?" asked Erik.

"No," said Doctor Charette quietly, "We have been here all night watching over you." Before Erik could say anything else, Paul and Mary left the room.

"Please don't be angry Erik," said Christine still sitting on the bed with him. "I was very worried."

"I am fine," said Erik again. In truth his body felt like hell. But there was no way he would elude that to Raoul who still stood nearby.

"Your welcome," said Raoul in a sarcastic voice.

"I do not recall that I thanked you or needed anything from you," snapped Erik in a low voice.

"Erik…Raoul, please, stop," said Christine. Her brown eyes seem to plead with Erik and he cursed inside his head. Women seemed to always get in the way of things.

"Why did you need to see me?" asked Erik thinking to switch the subject back to when they had originally came by to see him after Laurette had left. He rubbed his head as it was aching. Much to his surprise, Christine reached out and held his hand. Glancing at Raoul, he could see the Count was smoldering.

"I…we wanted to talk to you about what could be the final piece of the plan," said Christine softly.

"What plan?" muttered Erik. Christine's fingers laced with his and he felt warmth creeping into him. It felt so good to have her with him again, as if he suddenly remembered how much he had missed her. She soothed him in the absence of Laurette.

"There is a performance in one week's time that will have some important guests attending."

"They are related to the royal family from England," volunteered Raoul. Erik almost smiled as he could hear the Count's voice was almost strained. His wife sitting on a bed with a man that almost took her and murdered him was most likely too much to watch.

It delighted Erik.

"We have many such guests attend all the time," said Erik.

"But these are related to the Duct chess who Monsieur Garier has been seeing for some time," said Christine with a smile.

"And if Christine could make herself known on stage…," said Raoul.

"Christine still needs more time," interrupted Erik. He looked at her as he saw her face fall with disappointment and he softened his tone. "It is still early Christine. Yes, you are almost there, but even you must admit, do you have the confidence to not only sing for the audience, but to stand before Laurette and out sing her?"

"I…I know I can."

"Christine…,"

"No! Erik, I know I can." Her face was the most determined he had seen and her eyes pleaded with him. "Please Erik, I can do this. Let me do this for you."

"You cannot do this for me, Christine."

"I must do it for myself, is that what you are saying?"

"Yes."

Christine shifted on the bed and suddenly reached out to touch Erik's mask to his surprise. "It is you who have given me the confidence, Erik. And although I will do this for myself, you must understand that I do it in return for all that you gave me. You cannot change how I feel about that."

Erik sighed and reached up to take her other hand. But he still hesitated. "And what if you succeed Christine? Will you only return once more to being what they want? And who will support you to be who you are?"

"I see you persist on believing that I would not be there for her," said Raoul in a low tone.

"I cannot ignore the fact that she changed so much to forget her love of music," replied Erik in an icier tone.

Raoul made a sound almost like a curse in frustration. "I do not need to listen to this."

Christine frowned at her husband and turned back to Erik. Framing his mask with her hands she looked intently at him. "I must support myself." Erik was about to smile and then she added, "Raoul is the love of my life just as Laurette is yours. He has always been there for me. But yes, I understand Erik. I need to hold my own no matter what society may think good or bad about me. They do not matter. Only what I think and feel about music matters."

Erik reached up and clasped her hands once more bringing them down from his mask. Her eyes were pleading with him.

"Even I have to admit," said Raoul softly, "Laurette will not last much longer. You do not have anything to lose at this point."

Erik studied Christine's face. "I have everything to lose," he said quietly. He sighed heavily. "When are they arriving?"

Christine's face brightened immediately. "The end of next week."

Erik sighed again shaking his head. "Well then, somehow we must get word to Laurette to make sure she is the one to perform."

Christine threw her arms around him. "Oh Erik, I will not let you down!" She laughed as she pulled away. "No, I will not let _myself _down," she said with conviction.

"And just how will we tell Laurette?" asked Raoul suddenly. "Even I am unable to usually see her. Monsieur Garier does not allow anyone to see her…except perhaps Monsieur Leduc."

Erik glared at Raoul for bringing up that name.

"Perhaps Dr. Charette can tell her," said Christine softly. "We will come up with our plan and how I can get on the stage. Although I do not know Erik. Maybe I should just replace Laurette and the audience can listen to me. Maybe that alone will be enough to get back in their good graces."

Raoul shook his head. "I doubt that will ensure that Laurette will not continued to be used as a soloist. No, I think something more dramatic must take place."

"Demonstrating that I can out sing Laurette," said Christine quietly.

Raoul nodded. "And it must be convincing. They will know if it is some pretense to get you back on stage. It must look like this is your own doing. Laurette must sing her best to convince the audience that you truly are the better singer."

"And as a result I will humiliate her!" replied Christine. Her eyes grew angry. "I will continue to be looked upon as having my horrible reputation Raoul!"

"You can change that Christine," said Erik as he gently squeezed her hand. "Laurette has no desire to be in the spotlight anyway." His head was still aching and this conversation was wearing on him. Christine sensed this and her eyes softened.

"Lay down Erik. We will get Doctor Charrette."

"Which is another matter," said Erik. "I am not certain Paul will tell Laurette of this plan."

"Why not?" asked Raoul.

"Because he thinks the entire idea is ridiculous as it is. Like me, he feels that Laurette should just refuse all of this and return to the Opera House."

"But…she will lose everything," said Christine.

"Except her life."

Christine looked pleadingly at Raoul and he frowned. "Alright fine," he muttered looking at Erik. "You were right that the body cannot live without the spirit. If you were to bring Laurette back here without trying for her dream she may not be able to live long anyway."

"Is that not what you said?" asked Christine looking at Erik intently.

He looked away from her. Would she be able to do this? Could Laurette sing in her condition? He knew from the look in Paul's eyes earlier that she must not still be doing well. In the end, she could die from all of this. But he also knew forcing Laurette to return was not an option. As much as Erik loathed admitting it, Raoul was right. She would die anyway.

"Perhaps you can speak with her Christine," said Erik quietly.

"Me? But Erik, first I am not sure Monsieur Garier would allow me to visit. Second, I am not even certain Laurette would, well, want to see me."

"She will see you."

Christine shifted uncomfortably. "Well I have to admit that our last conversation alone was a bit…awkward."

Erik's eyes looked straight into hers. He had known she was the reason Laurette wanted to see his face. "She will see you for me," he said calmly. Then he gave in and laid his head back down on the pillow.

"I will try, Erik," whispered Christine.

"I am sure I can come up with a visit in unison with Monsieur Leduc," said Raoul. "I am sure if I talk about some type of investment deal, they would be more than eager to allow Christine a visit."

Erik only nodded. His entire body seemed to be aching and felt like lead. He hadn't even realized that he fell asleep until he opened his eyes and saw Paul sitting in the armchair next to the bed.

"Well, look who is awake," said Dr. Charrette with half a smile.

Erik struggled to sit up. Paul frowned but helped him.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"For quite some time after Raoul and Christine left," said Paul retrieving his bag. He mixed another dose of medicine in a glass of water. "Enough time for them to tell me what you are planning to do with Laurette."

There was definitely a biting tone in Paul's voice and Erik drew a calming breath before accepting the glass. "You know you really could make your medications taste better. I am sure I could help you in that respect with some suggestions," he said as he handed the glass back to Paul.

"I do not need your suggestions," said Paul flatly. "What you need is mine. How can you even think to let Laurette do this?" He suddenly sat on the bed and looked at Erik with anger. "She is not well Erik. She cannot perform so soon."

"The timing has to be next week," he replied.

"Erik, if you do this, she will die."

Paul's words ripped into Erik's heart. Although he knew full well of the situation with Laurette's health, the doctor had always been more than positive and upbeat that she could prevail. Hearing his harsh opinion was unexpectedly more than Erik could bear. But it was too late. This was in fact the only way.

"Laurette must sing."

Paul, for the first time, cursed and abruptly stood up from the bed. He began shoving things back into his bag, preparing to leave.

"You know she will die if she does _not _do this," said Erik as he watched the doctor yank his coat from a nearby chair. "Her spirit is already drained. Even you admit that."

"What I admit is that she is weak and needs someone strong enough to give her the guidance she needs," he said harshly in return. "I have left more medication with Maria. If you will excuse me, I need to visit more of my patients before I make the journey once more to see Laurette."

"Thank you."

Paul stiffly put his coat and hat on. "You have nothing to thank me for," he snapped. "Placing a patient of mine in a harmful situation is against my profession as a doctor. If I can still help it, I will see to it that she does not perform. Even our friendship will not interfere with my judgment as a doctor Erik."

There was nothing Erik could say at this point to make Paul see the situation from his personal point of view. "I understand," said Erik quietly.

The doctor gave a slight frown in response. Then he turned and left.

Erik settled back into the pillows. The sleep had rejuvenated him and he already physically was feeling much better. Then he groaned as Maria burst into the room with a huge tray of food, smiling broadly at him.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"And do you really think this plan will work?"

"Yes," said Erik looking at Justine who stood before the Company. Although he had some doubts himself, he was not about to say otherwise. A few days had passed and he now seemed much better with his own health. Laurette's health was still another matter. Christine would be visiting her with Raoul tomorrow planning some fake business deal so they could be allowed to see her.

"But we must be most convincing," Erik continued. "This must look as if it is not some plan." He nodded at Christine who had joined them for rehearsal.

Justine in his usual brash manner looked skeptical. "And just how do we get her on the stage?" he asked harshly looking at Christine. The cast murmured for a moment in reaction to Justine's rudeness to Christine. Her reaction, however, surprised them.

"Exactly," said Christine calmly. "I want you to be yourself and treat me just that way Justine."

Erik nodded approvingly at her. "The Countess will come in during the first act while the chorus, you and Madame Duprey are singing. Before she can even sing the first note, Christine will interrupt with her voice out of view."

"And then what do we do?" asked Andre.

"React as anyone would," replied Erik. "Uncertain where the voice came from or who it is."

"And then the Countess will suddenly appear?" asked Joseph. "Should I continue the music?"

"I want Christine to slowly emerge onto the stage and sing without music. This will make it continue to look unplanned."

"And Madame will simply take up the challenge?" asked Dion.

"Yes," replied Christine. "She will know what to do and she must sing her best. Anything less and Monsieur Garier will suspect something."

"And you will sing better than her?"

Christine looked hesitantly at Erik then lifted her chin to Dion.

"Yes."

"And humiliate her in front of an entire audience," said Dion in a low tone. "And then what? The public will be enthralled that she is suddenly second class to you. To add further insult, she then has to direct you while you take all the praise! It should not be done this way. It is a slap in her face for all that she has accomplished."

Somewhat surprised by Dion's strong reaction, Erik stepped forward in defense for Christine. "This is what Madame Duprey wants."

"She is too ill to make such decisions."

"You know full well that even when she has not been ill that she has no desire to sing. She only wants to direct."

"Is it? Or is this what you want Maestro? Or perhaps you have fallen into a trap set by the Countess so that she can return to her full diva status. Perhaps there are some things in the past that remain the same in your relationship with her."

There was a collective gasp from the Company and then murmurs as frightened eyes watched Erik closely in anticipation of Dion's accusation.

Erik's eyes were cold on Dion. He knew Dion and Armond had been devoted to Laurette for years now and were only looking out for her interest. After all, despite the fact that they knew him as a director, how could they overlook his past? He thought carefully before he spoke.

"It is true that the Countess and I have made…amends. But let me be clear in this to you Dion, what I do here, what I have always done for this Company, is for Laurette."

He saw a few of the dancers look at each other with quick smiles. The gossip would be at full height at this point in guessing his feelings about Laurette. And to top it off he had confirmed a point of intimacy by using her first name in front of the entire Company. But who gave a damn? In his mind, Laurette was his wife and should she live through this he fully intended not to keep it a secret any further.

Dion stood still and slowly looked at Christine who stepped closer to Erik. He was almost staring at her, as if he were trying to see into her soul. "And have you talked with Madame Duprey?" he asked her.

"I will see her tomorrow."

The atmosphere seemed deathly quiet as the Company waited for Dion's response. He finally looked at Erik. "I have no choice but to trust in you Maestro. And I trust you will do what is necessary in the end for Madame Duprey."

"I would do no less," assured Erik.

Armond broke the tension stepping forward and patting Dion on the back and than the shoulder. "It will be alright Dion. We will all be in this together."

The Company nodded and murmured in agreement. Erik signaled Gautier to continue the normal rehearsal without him and walked back to the Music Room with Christine following.

"They seem…very dedicated," Christine said softly as Erik opened the door for her.

"Yes, you could say that. But after all Laurette has been through I can certainly see why they are so devoted to her."

"I was speaking of you."

Erik stopped short in front of the piano and turned around to face her. "They have done all of this for Laurette. Make no mistake Christine, I would not be here if it were not for her."

"You underestimate yourself Erik. I am sure they follow you for more than just her." But before he could say anything, she nodded slowly. "I will make sure she understands when I will make my entrance so she will be ready."

Erik hesitated for a moment but then walked to a nearby desk. Opening the lower drawer, he pulled out a sealed envelope. Walking back towards Christine, he paused. "If…you would please give this to her."

"Of course Erik." When he said nothing in response she took a step forward. "You do trust me don't you?"

He looked at her for a few moments studying her face. Her cheeks were fresh and warm with color…the type of color Erik wanted to see in Laurette's face. He drew a breath.

"Yes, Christine. I trust you." At this point he was placing Laurette's life as well as his own in her hands. He had to trust her. And he prayed she was really the girl he once knew. She gave him a slight smile and then hurried out of the room knowing Raoul would be waiting for her outside.

Over the next two days all Erik could do was wait and it was driving him mad. The Company did not even really need to practice given the performance would be interrupted so early and they already knew the show backwards and forwards even if it continued with Christine. He hoped it would continue with Christine. He worried that she could still fail. He knew she had it in her. He knew she was music itself with that voice. But in front of everyone….

He shook his head trying to get a hold of himself as worried thoughts consumed him. But he paced restlessly in the Music Room. Christine would have seen Laurette by now but there was no word. Worse, Doctor Charette had not stopped by or sent any messages. While Erik knew this was because of his indifference to the entire plan, he had still hoped for some company or even that the doctor would give him some assurance. He really had no one to give him such confidence. The Company looked anxiously at him when they saw him in the last day as they were looking for reassurance from him. Even Justine in his usual brash manner was unusually quiet and joined Erik for breakfast for a few moments rather than as early as he did.

"Monsieur?"

Erik looked up to see Maria in the doorway.

"I have dinner ready for you in the dining room."

"No thank you."

"Would you like me to bring it in here?"

Erik stopped pacing for a moment. "I am not hungry Maria."

"Monsieur, please, you must eat something."

"Not now Maria," said Erik with a warning note in his voice as he turned back to walk toward the piano.

"You would tell Madame that she needs to eat."

He sharply turned around annoyed. "Maria that is all." He watched as her face fell and she bowed her head, and then turned to leave. He sighed. "Maria…,"

She stopped and looked back at him.

"I will be there in a moment," he muttered.

Her face lit up with a smile and she practically skipped out of the room before shutting the door to finish her preparation of the meal. He knew she was right, but eating alone was actually bothering him. How amazing that he even felt that way after all this time in his life in solitude. But as he reached for the door it suddenly burst open and almost knocked him down.

"Maestro!" exclaimed Justine. "Thought I'd find you here."

Recovering from the sudden intrusion, Erik glared at him. "What is it Justine?"

"Well, I saw Cloey today, you know, one of Monsieur Garier's servants. She was in town and surprised me." He suddenly grinned. "Well in more ways than one."

"Get to the point Justine," Erik snapped.

"Why is it that you never like to talk about women?"

"Excuse me?"

"Women…you have heard of them."

Erik frowned. "I am giving you three seconds to tell me what you came to see me about or I will throw you out of this opera house."

"Oh all right. I'll tell Andre about Cloey later as I'm sure he would like to hear about it. Maybe even Julia…,"

"_Justine!"_

"Okay, okay. Cloey was with Raoul and Christine. They were giving her a ride from Monsieur Garier's estate into town on their way back. Anyway, the Countess had to return quickly to where they were staying and she asked me if I could bring you a letter. She made me promise not to open it of course."

"How long ago was this?"

"Well yesterday…,"

"And you are seeing me just _now_?"

Justine grinned again. "Well I had to spend some time with Cloey. After all, I need to stay in good graces with her for Madame's sake so I-,"

"_Where is the letter?"_ barked Erik.

"Here-,"

Erik snatched it out of his hand. "Get out."

"But I wanted to hear how Madame Duprey was doing."

Erik suddenly strode forward to grab him and Justine backed away. "Fine, fine. I am leaving. I can see that the rumors of your bad temper were certainly true." He escaped out the door and Erik slammed it shut.

Opening the envelope he was surprised to see that it was a letter from Christine and not Laurette.

_Erik,_

_I write this as we are now traveling back to Paris. I will make sure Monsieur Garier's servant somehow gets this to you. I would stop by the Opera House but we have to hurry back so we can meet with someone related to the Duchess that Raoul has a similar acquaintance with. By ensuring we get to this person first, I have more of a chance to secure my role onstage no matter what Monsieur Garier thinks. Although I am certain that if we succeed, he cannot possibly ignore what publicity he will receive from me. And he will be forced to release Laurette but keep her for a director which will draw even more publicity as she will have to direct me. Dion's comments bothered me however. I do not want to be seen that way. I am determined that after we succeed I will set my own terms and somehow highly praise Laurette openly._

_At Monsieur Garier's estate I managed to speak with her privately though only for a few moments. You will be happy to know that she was out in the sunshine in his garden. She said it makes her feel better as the sun warms her. I do admit that she is very weak Erik. She strongly believes she can do this and I pray that she is right. If anything should happen to her then I will never forgive myself. _

_I will have to arrive at the Opera House in secret on the night of the performance of course. We will arrive very late and I will wait for you in the Music Room. Until then I will be practicing continuously. _

_Thank you for allowing me this chance Erik._

_Forever your student,_

_Christine_

Erik stared at the note for a few moments and then read the short words about Laurette in the garden. He was hoping for words from her. It unnerved him that even Christine was admitting she was so weak. He slowly shook his head. She would not be able to survive this.

Turning away from the door, Erik walked over to the secret mirror, gave it a tap, and walked down into the depths below to be alone where he belonged.

The next evening Erik endured Maria's aloof attitude. He had not returned for dinner the night before and she wasn't about to forgive him as she loaded the table with food. But before he could even think about what to select just to appease her, Erik was surprised to suddenly see Doctor Charrette standing before him.

He said nothing and took off his gloves and hat. Handing them to Maria, he sat down. His face was tired and lined with stress. Erik knew he had just returned from his journey to Monsieur Garier's estate.

"How is she?" asked Erik softly.

Paul did not look at him and instead reached out to pour himself coffee. "Why do you ask what you already know Erik?"

_Fine._

After enduring Erik's silent response, Paul turned in his chair to look at him. "I tried every argument that I could. I told her the Company would be devastated if anything should happen to her. I told her you would be devastated." The doctor shook his head. "Nothing could dissuade her from her decision to perform tonight."

"Will you stay then?"

The doctor scowled in response but then muttered a 'yes' before sipping his coffee.

"Thank you," murmured Erik.

"I am insane," muttered Paul as he set the empty cup down. He rose from his chair. "I should just wait until I see her backstage and hold her there." He motioned for Maria who quickly came forward with his hat and gloves. "Tell me Erik, what will you do if she does die?"

Erik was quiet for a moment and then took a breath. "Why do you ask me questions to which you already know the answer?" Erik asked, repeating the doctor's same words.

Paul frowned, put on his hat and walked out the door. He brushed past Armond and Dion who were cautiously peering inside the room. Erik motioned them to come inside the dining room.

"The audience has already begun to fill the theater," said Armond.

"Is Laurette in her dressing room?" asked Erik.

"Yes," said Dion with a stony face.

"You still do not approve I see."

"I still believe you will do what is right for Madame Duprey and I must trust in that," replied Dion almost harshly.

"I see." After an awkward silence Erik stood up. "The Countess will be arriving soon. Please see that she is escorted to the Music Room." They nodded in response and left.

Taking a deep breath Erik made his way behind the secret passageway to Laurette's dressing room. He immediately frowned as he heard the chattering voices of Monsieur Garier's servants. He peered into the mirror anyway, only shocked to find Laurette's face completely white. It was no longer just pale, it was translucent. Worse, her hands trembled as she tried to hold the peach rose Erik had placed in her chair. The women flitted about her, pulling her hair, making up her face. She did not even notice them as she stared into another world.

Erik's stomach tightened. He could not do this. He could not. He was going to kill her. Dion was right; she had no sense to make any decisions with how sick she now was. He had to stop the performance. Julia would perform the lead role or…Christine. His heart sunk as he knew the moment she appeared onstage the audience would not accept her. Erik did not care. He had to save Laurette.

Walking quickly backstage, he signaled the attention of Joseph who quickly walked up to him. "Maestro?"

"Julia…where is Julia?"

"I…I do not know. I think she is in her dressing room. What is wrong?"

"Hey what is going on?" asked Justine walking towards them.

"Have you seen Julia?" asked Joseph.

He shrugged in response. "The Maestro tells me I must stay away from her so how should I know?"

"Andre!" shouted Joseph. "Find Julia." Andre nodded and rushed away.

"Would you like to tell me what this is about?" asked Joseph.

Erik was about to let him know that he was refusing to let Laurette perform when a voice suddenly shouted across the backstage. "What the hell is going on?"

Joseph and Justine immediately turned around blocking any view of Erik who quickly hid behind the curtain. "Monsieur Garier," stammered Joseph. "How may we help you?"

"You can help me by getting the damn show underway!"

"Well yes, but it is not yet curtain ti-,"

"Now you listen to me," said Monsieur Garier stepping less than an inch away from Joseph, "The audience is here, Madame Duprey is here, and much more important, the Duchess and her family are waiting. Start the damn show now," he barked.

"Y-yes, Monsieur," said Joseph glancing back to look for Erik.

"Well? Get the hell out of here and into the orchestra pit!" To Erik's dismay Joseph scrambled away. "And you!" shouted Monsieur Garier pointing to Justine, "Get on that stage now or I will make sure you never sing in this opera house again!"

"Yes of course Monsieur. You are right. I already have a few offers outside of Paris."

Monsieur Garier stiffened in reaction. "Thinking we are the star above all are we? Well if you fail me in this performance I assure you those offers will quickly disappear."

Justine narrowed his eyes but finally consented to joining the rest of the chorus preparing for the first entrance. The same was for everyone else in the Company. As Monsieur Garier was now backstage, they scrambled to take their places.

Erik cursed as the music began. It was too late. Taking the back passageway he made his way up to Box 5 and watched.

The curtain rose and the chorus started. Justine made his entrance and then courted Laurette as she slowly walked onto the stage. And then as she was about to sing her part, Erik heard Christine's voice echo from the backstage. The music stopped, the audience began to talk in confusion.

And then she appeared.

Christine.

In comparison to Laurette she was tall, elegant, everything an opera star should be. Her face was radiant, pink with color while Laurette appeared a ghostly white. Christine came forward onto the stage among the cast. The audience confusion grew louder and Christine sang above it all, causing them to listen in shock. When the last note faded the audience began to talk again, some actually calling out to Madame Duprey who stood silently on the stage.

Erik glanced down at Monsieur Garier in the audience who was furious. He could see that he was trying to come up with whatever lie he could to the Duchess and her family that this was planned. He glared at Laurette.

The audience was cheering her on at this point, encouraging her to come forward and sing. Ever so slowly, she stepped forward causing the audience to applaud in approval. Erik saw her raise her head, gather her last remaining strength, and she sang the first verse with even more power and height than Christine. The audience thundered in approval, and to Erik's dismay, they raised to their feet. Laurette's face fell at their reaction and she turned to look at Christine.

Christine shifted in her stance and swallowed hard as she looked nervously back at the audience, some of which were now shouting jeers. Then she slowly looked up at Box 5. Despite the risk, Erik peered around the curtain so she could see him. His eyes met hers and he gave her an assuring nod. She could do this. She was truly an angel of music and she had it within her to let her spirit soar.

And then it happened. Christine took a bold step forward to the audience, lifted up her chin and sang as if her life depended upon it. Erik actually shuddered as the notes seemed to pierce his very soul the same way Laurette's eyes did. He was so overtaken by the beauty of her voice he had to sit back, feeling weak with awe. When the last high note faded away, the silence was eerie.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

And then the theater erupted into applause.

The audience was on their feet and many were nodding their heads in respect just as Erik had seen one night years ago when they first heard that angelic voice.

Christine Daee had returned.

Erik's eyes turned to find Laurette. But instead of finding a look of relief upon her face, she appeared devastated. She was slowly backing away from Christine who was bowing elegantly on the stage. And then Laurette swayed, stumbled. By the time Erik rose quickly to his feet, he watched in horror as she fell, her small body crumpling on the stage before everyone. He saw Christine give a cry of despair as she suddenly realized what had happened and she rushed over to Laurette, bending over her with the rest of the cast quickly following.

Erik did not think. Consumed with fear he charged down the steps in the secret passageway. He could not breathe. Why could he not feel his legs as he ran? It was as if he were completely separated from his own body. And he could not move fast enough. It took what seemed like an eternity to make it down to the secret backstage entrance.

Without thought, Erik emerged out into the open with Raoul almost running into him. Erik looked down and saw that Laurette was in his arms. His anger was so violent that his fists shook as they clenched. The sight of him holding her, touching her, was unbearable.

_"Give her to me,"_ he demanded. He heard a small group of collective gasps and it was then that he realized some of the cast was standing behind Raoul. Christine's worried face looked at him. Erik did not care. If Raoul did not hand over Laurette in one more second, he would show them all his true dark soul. And the chandelier he had cut down was pale in comparison to what he was truly capable of doing. He glared at Raoul.

Raoul hesitated for a moment, sensing the demon within Erik and most likely unsure if he should be handing over the woman in his arms. But he straightened as Christine's hand touched his arm reassuringly. "Of course," he replied with an even tone.

Erik was in no mood for Raoul to even hesitate. The second Raoul stepped forward to give him Laurette; he practically snatched her from his arms. Cradling her to him, Erik did not even glance back at the shocked faces of the Company as he disappeared through the secret passageway. He knew Paul would be waiting for them and he ran through the corridors. She was completely limp in his arms. He forced her head up to his face and was relieved to feel her breath.

He entered the dining room, brushed past Maria who began to frantically follow him, and immediately took Laurette to her bed. Paul was already there moving over her. He quickly took out his stethoscope but when he went to try and listen to her chest, he frowned with the dress in the way. The dress was so tightly fitted he could not find anywhere to slip it inside so he could listen to her heart.

"Get her out of this damn costume!" rasped Paul. "With how tight it is I cannot imagine how she can even breathe!" Mary appeared and began to help Maria. But it was difficult to do with Laurette so lifeless.

Impatient and worried, Erik elbowed them aside and tore the dress from the neckline, ripping it off of her. He was not as gentle with her corset or crinoline either. But Paul nodded in approval and took out his stethoscope to listen to her heart before Maria could get her night dress on. Erik did not care that he was doing such a thing with her naked. If him touching her in such a manner would help the doctor in his assessment to make her better, so be it.

Paul frowned. "Her pulse is very weak." He touched her head. "And God Damn it her head is _burning_." He threw off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. Then to Erik's astonishment, Paul lifted her out of the bed.

"What are you doing?" Erik demanded.

"Getting her into cold water. We have no choice. She was already running a fever for the last few days and now it is beyond normal means of control."

Erik swore under his breath and followed Paul into the bathroom. Maria was quickly there turning on the water. Mary tested the water. "Colder than that Maria," she said with worry in her voice. "Go. Get ice." Maria scrambled to her feet and went running out the door as the doctor lowered Laurette into the water.

Laurette immediately reacted to the cold water and began to struggle. "Hold her Erik," said Paul gritting his teeth. Erik reached in and held down her shoulders. Then to Erik's dismay, Mary handed Paul the largest needle he had ever seen. When he began to insert it into Laurette's arm, she began to cry.

"NO!"

Erik grabbed Paul's arm holding the needle. He would not let her suffer any further.

"Erik, we have no choice-,"

"I am making the choice!"

"Fine! Then _let_ her die!"

Erik gritted his teeth. He did not want to let her go. She might die even if they did all of this. Hell it was a miracle she was not dead now. He wanted her to live. But she may suffer…but he was too selfish. He loathed himself.

"I am trusting you damn it," said Erik. He looked at Paul for the first time with a mixture of hate.

"Thanks for the encouragement," growled the doctor as he began to insert the needle into her arm again.

Laurette tried to struggle. Her eyes were still closed but she whimpered in pain, a sound that tore through Erik. Without any thought he pressed his lips against hers. For a moment she continued to struggle and then she began to relax as Erik deepened the kiss. He released her slowly and nuzzled her neck, his fingers now massaging her shoulders instead of holding them down. Blinking, he looked down into the water and realized ice was now floating next to her. Erik looked up to find Maria and Mary looking at him with tears in their eyes.

"There," said Paul as he withdrew the needle. "Just a few more minutes, then we'll get her out and get her body immediately warm."

Erik closed his eyes blocking them all out from the room and held her gently within his arms. With how cold the water was, he was beginning to shiver as his arms embraced around her in the water. His head next to hers, Erik realized she was no longer struggling…she was freezing literally to death.

"Paul…," Erik began looking up at him.

"I know Erik, I know. Trust me, just a little longer."

Erik held his breath. He swore her skin was beginning to look bluish in color. "I do not like this…," he said hoarsely.

"Alright Erik, go ahead."

He did not hesitate for a moment and lifted Laurette out of the water. Maria and Mary quickly piled warm, heated towels around her while he carried her back to bed. Laying her down, they got the night dress on her.

Paul nodded as he felt her forehead. "Touch her head Erik."

He reached up and found that her head was now cool. But she was shivering almost violently now which may soon return the fever. Not caring that they were watching him, Erik crawled into the bed and held Laurette tightly against him. His warmth began to seep into her and Laurette appeared to finally stop shaking. The doctor piled yet a few more blankets on top of them and then settled into the nearby armchair.

"You are going to stay?" mumbled Erik. At this point he was so exhausted it was all he could do to keep his eyes open as he continued to hold Laurette.

"Yes Erik. Now go to sleep."

Those were the last words he heard before slipping into unconsciousness.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

There was something warm against Erik's throat. Upon opening his eyes and looking down he realized with relief that it was Laurette, still breathing against his neck as he continued to hold her. Sore from staying so long in one position, Erik shifted his weight and was actually joyous to hear Laurette give a slight murmur of protest.

"She still has a fever but it appears to have stabilized." Erik was startled upon hearing Paul's voice. He had forgotten he was still in the room.

"Do you really think she is out of danger?"

"She is most certainly not out of the woods yet," said Doctor Charette now leaning over Laurette with his stethoscope. But then he smiled at Erik. "However I will say it appears she has made it through the worst peak of it."

Erik breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you Paul."

The doctor frowned. "You have nothing to thank me for. I could have prevented this. And now what? She is still very ill Erik. You knew she had no hope of full recovery and it will be worse now. She will be unable to have the same energy she had before. Laurette will be very weak the rest of her days. Do you understand?"

Erik looked at what he considered to be his wife. Laurette's hands were balled into fists, sleeping once more like a child. Despite her pale face, she looked very much at peace, as if she realized Christine had finally returned to the stage and she was now safe within the Opera House with him.

And she would be safe, Erik vowed. He would never again allow her to return to Monsieur Garier. "Yes," he replied softly to the doctor, "I understand."

Paul shook his head. "Well I do not," he muttered as he straightened. "No matter, it is useless talking to either of you. The Count de Chagny stopped by and I believe he is still in the Music Room. I suggest you leave me with Laurette so I can finish my examination."

Erik nodded and pulled himself up. He changed his clothes then took the secret passageway to the Music Room. But he slowed as he heard a familiar voice.

"I suppose you think you are so brilliant with that stunt you pulled last night."

Erik peered through one of the mirrors to see Monsieur Garier standing before Raoul and Christine.

"Monsieur Garier," said Raoul rather dryly, "What brings you to the Opera House so early this morning?"

"You know damn well! All of Paris is talking about the return of your spoiled little wife! And now I suppose you are planning to trap me into signing some damn contract to have her sing the next season!"

"That was the plan," replied Raoul smugly.

"Fine! What the hell is your price then?"

"Oh there will be no deal with you now," said Raoul smiling broadly.

"What?"

_What?_ Erik shifted in his place from behind the mirror.

"I no longer need you Monsieur Garier. We have all that we need now and my wife can command any position in the world. We have no need to have her sing at the Opera Populaire."

Erik's hands clenched into fists.

"That is certainly fine by me," said Monsieur Garier. "Although you have succeeded in using my opera house for your gain, I still have Madame Duprey to serve me."

_Like Hell you do._

"Not likely," replied Raoul. "I will see fit how Madame Duprey serves this Opera House."

Monsieur Garier began to laugh. "You think to try and use your wife's new found status into me handing over Madame Duprey? I assure you, although she is no longer considered the top vocalist, she still has some use to me."

Raoul narrowed his eyes. "She will not serve the vengeance you seek against your family."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Do you think I do not know? Laurette's father, her real father, was a wealthy man at one time. Oh I know you did not know this at first when you took her from Monsieur Beaumont, but Antoine Leduc quickly found out from his contacts. When I heard the whispers, I researched the city records and found that your father actually worked for Monsieur Duprey. I understand that he intended to give your family much of the business as your father was his most trusted employee. But then Monsieur Duprey became ill and died suddenly. Your father inherited the business but it failed under his direction. Your family ended up so poor that you had to live on the streets. Obviously you are using Madame Duprey for more than just your monetary needs. How ironic that she fell into your hands. You are using her to get back at something you cannot change."

"My background is none of your business," said Monsieur Garier in a low voice. "I have no family. My father was not wise enough to use society as necessary to maintain such a business…oh yes, if there is anything I learned it was that. Monsieur Duprey left him many enemies and the business was already in trouble. I vowed that would never happen to me. Madame Duprey is the final pinnacle of my success; to think that I now have the daughter of the man who ruined my family. And now I have used her just as my father was used. Even now, she will continue to serve me."

"She is far too ill to continue as lead vocalist. I worry even her director status is in question with her health."

"I have by far other uses for her in mind Count."

Erik took a step forward and restrained himself from smashing through the mirror to act upon the violence swirling beneath the surface.

"I think not. From here on, Madame Duprey will only answer to me."

"Your threats with your new found publicity will not work. You forget I have quite the power in society today with those I know."

Raoul smiled. "That depends upon which of those you speak of. Tell me Monsieur Garier, do you actually own all of the Opera Populaire?"

For the first time, Erik actually saw Monsieur Garier's face pale. "Why do you ask?"

Raoul retrieved a large folder from underneath his cloak. Opening it, he shook out a legal document and held it in front of him. "Do you recognize this?"

"It is the deed to the Opera Populaire," said Monsieur Garier in a low tone.

"Why yes it is. And interestingly enough, fifty-one percent ownership belonged to a relation of the Duchess, her uncle. I see now why she was of such importance to you. It is quite clear how important your relationship was with her so that you could ensure that all of the Opera Populaire belonged to you. Her uncle was quite distressed when he heard that you were ordering Madame Duprey to sing against Doctor Charette's orders. Oh? Did I mention to you that Doctor Charette treated his son some years ago? Saved his life as a matter of fact. And once he realized the man you really are and your wrongful intentions with his niece, he was more then happy to agree to my offer."

"Offer?" croaked Monsieur Garier.

"For the deed to the Opera Populaire," said Raoul rolling up the document now. "And as the prominent owner of this opera house, it will be my decision as to how it will be run. Not yours. You will work for me now Monsieur Garier."

"I…no, that…that cannot…you cannot…," Monsieur Garier stumbled in his words and demeanor. He backed away shaking his head. "The opera house is _mine_!"

"No Monsieur," said Raoul looking sternly at him, "The majority of the opera house belongs to me."

Erik could hardly believe his ears. Raoul owned the opera house. And yet he still allowed Laurette to sing knowing it would not matter in the end. He used Laurette to gain Christine's return to stardom. Erik had always hated Raoul and never trusted him, certainly not with Christine. But now this had gone too far in getting everything that he wanted. Erik's anger was so intense it was all he could do to stay in his hiding place.

"We shall see," growled Monsieur Garier. "We shall see just who is in the true favor with the Duchess. Even her Uncle gives her everything her heart desires. I know her far better then you. And my word against you, someone she only knows to be married to a spoiled Opera Diva, will be what she believes. And last night was proof enough of your own selfishness, to humiliate Madame Duprey so that your wife can return to her status in society. I think I have more then enough defense with your actions alone."

"The fact remains that the deed is in my hands," replied Raoul harshly.

"The Duchess has by far more power then you can imagine. And her political ties might just erase that name of yours on that document."

Raoul merely nodded. "By all means, you may try to remove my name Monsieur. I assure you that it will not be as easy as you think."

Monsieur Garier let out a huff, turned on his heel and left the Music Room with the door slamming behind him. Raoul and Christine looked at each other and immediately began to smile.

"Oh Raoul, I cannot believe you did it!" cried Christine as she embraced him.

The Count happily crushed her to him and then looked down at her with loving eyes. He tilted her chin up with his fingers and then fastened his mouth over hers.

Erik had enough. Shaking in anger he emerged as Raoul was still kissing Christine. Memories flooded back to him of witnessing this man take what he loved once before. And now not only did he have Christine, he had the Opera House.

"Erik?" Christine had opened her eyes and faltered in her embrace with Raoul who remained with his arms tightly around her.

"Get away from him Christine," said Erik in a low tone. God forbid her dress may get bloody with what he was going to do to this man.

Christine's eyes widened. "Oh, but Erik, wait-,"

"Yes that is just like you," said Erik to Raoul still shaking in anger, "Use the one you love to shield you. I assure you, it will not help you now with what you have done."

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Raoul with what Erik thought was a fake look of shock on his face.

"The Opera Populaire," rasped Erik, "You own it. It is yours."

"Yes, I thought you would be pleased to know that-,"

"Pleased? Oh yes, I am quite pleased that you used my wife for your purposes. It has given me the excuse that I have always wanted so I can kill you!"

Erik's hand went to Raoul's throat with a knife as Christine, still in his arms, screamed. "Erik! No! Wait! Listen, please! It is not what you think!"

"No?" asked Erik as he pressed the knife to Raoul's neck who was now beginning to choke for air.

"NO! It is not what you think! Erik!"

He did not release Raoul and instead continued to glare at him. Despite the lack of air, Raoul surprisingly held his own. He refused to let go of Christine as if protecting her and he held Erik's gaze with steady eyes.

"Erik," whispered Christine, "If you love me…,"

He looked at her then. Her eyes were gazing at him full of love and hope. Innocence he knew so well at one time when death had not touched her. And now here she was begging for that beautiful ignorance of what death could be, of the fact that Erik was not a monster but an angel… her angel.

Erik swore under his breath and with great reluctance he released Raoul who let out a fit of coughing. He swung Christine behind him and shifted in his stance to straighten before Erik, now full ready for any further attack. He would not be caught off guard again.

"What the hell did I do to deserve that greeting?" demanded Raoul clutching his throat and still coughing.

"That was nothing," said Erik gritting his teeth knowing full well he was being gentle.

"You really are nothing but a monster," said Raoul harshly.

Erik took a step forward as did Raoul.

"No! Stop!" exclaimed Christine intervening and placing herself back in front of Raoul.

"You knew Laurette was ill! And yet you still used her when you already owned the opera house!"

"I did not know that the opera house was mine until after the performance!" yelled Raoul.

"But you knew of this for some time," said Erik in a strained voice, "You visited with the Uncle of the Duchess just days ago!"

"Yes," replied Raoul harshly, "I knew it was a possibility. But that was all! When I had not heard anything in the last few days I thought it was best to go forward with our plan!"

"Your plan."

"No, damn you! I would never have done that to Laurette!"

"And yet you still did. Instead of somehow delaying the performance and waiting for the answer, you let her perform." Erik gritted his teeth. "And now she is so weak it is a miracle that she even survived. She will never be the same. All because you insisted in returning to the acceptance of your high society with Christine having been returned to her full glory."

Raoul shook his head. "No."

"What possible reason could you give me to think otherwise?"

Raoul took a deep breath. "Because I knew if…if she did not perform Monsieur Garier had other…ideas for her."

Erik grew cold. "What are you saying?" he demanded.

"I am sure you overheard that Monsieur Garier had other uses for Laurette. As part of his continued popularity strategy he was planning on marrying the Duchess of course."

"And what does that have to do with Laurette?"

Raoul shifted in his stance. "He would declare Laurette his official mistress."

"No, if he married the Duchess that could not happen. She would be there all the time. It would be impossible. You are making this up to prevent me from strangling you!"

"Monsieur Garier's estate is enormous and one can easily disappear for hours before one could search all the rooms. Not to mention the Duchess would continue some of her public duties such as charity, causing her to be away at times. She would not question Laurette's continued presence as he continued to use her for his social gatherings. But everyone else would know what she was really being used for. And sadly, the fact is that most would think it a wise decision on the part of Laurette to accept such a relationship."

Erik shook his head. "No."

"I overheard Monsieur Garier when we visited speaking with one of his colleagues," said Raoul quietly. "He stated that he would be looked upon as being generous for taking care of her. Not only watching over her care at his estate, but providing her with wealth, a home, as well as….,"

"Say it," said Erik in a low tone.

"A relationship," summered Raoul. He sighed. "She may very well be the main attraction to a number of men with her beauty and talent. Yet none would have ever taken her seriously for marriage. She is not thought of as…well…," Raoul hesitated once more.

"Young and innocent."

Raoul pursed his lips at Erik's remark and then gave a slight nod. "And thus she cannot enter into any relationship with a known family name." Raoul looked away uncomfortably for a moment. "I knew Monsieur Garier fully intended to officially make her his mistress quite soon. He had ordered his servants to prepare and move her to a bedroom closer to his own. I did not want to take the chance if I delayed the plan that he would act on his intentions."

Erik was silent. Was this true? Was it truly Raoul's intention to protect Laurette from Monsieur Garier or was he simply lying?

"As for the Opera Populaire," continued Raoul, "I think you should take a closer look at the deed." He took it out once more of the folder and held it out to Erik.

Erik slowly reached out and took the document. He stared at the words for he could not comprehend what he saw. There, on the deed, was his name. His real name. And right beside his was Laurette's name as well.

"Think of it as repayment for your talent in bringing my Christine back to the happiness she once knew." Raoul glanced down at her who smiled up at him. "You have helped her to find her love of music once more. I may not like you, I may not trust you, but even I have to admit that you truly care about Christine. I would do anything for her, including returning her to the music teacher she adores even if I do not understand. But I love her."

"I would have done so regardless," said Erik quietly looking at the deed. Could this really be true? The Opera House was owned by him? And Laurette?

"Then consider it as an early wedding gift," replied Raoul.

Erik carefully folded the document and looked once more at the man holding Christine. He straightened. "This changes nothing in regards to my opinion about you. However…I admit that there was some misunderstanding."

"There is no need," said Raoul raising his hand.

_Oh of course not_, thought Erik sarcastically. Ignoring him, Erik switched the subject. "The names on this deed may cause unwanted publicity, especially for Laurette."

Raoul smiled. "No, that is quite taken care of. I personally know the same official that worked on keeping the former name, the Duchess's Uncle, hidden. Even if Monsieur Garier were to find the record, as I said to him, he will find it difficult to erase your name as no one knows who you are!"

"But Laurette would be known," said Erik quietly.

"Yes, that was a chance I had to take. But I felt it proper for it to be in both of your names. I trust the man who has hidden the official record of the deed with my life. You must trust that it will be quite safe."

"Trust."

"Yes."

Erik's eyes narrowed. "I believe that is a word you and I have yet to know of with each other."

Raoul smiled again. "This is true."

"Thank you."

Raoul's eyebrows shot up. "I never thought I would hear you say such a thing to me."

"Yes, well do not get used to it!" snapped Erik. He looked at Christine. "You were music itself last night Christine," he said softly.

He saw her actually blush and she smiled. "I still did it for you Erik, not just myself. I want you to be happy."

Erik nodded slowly in response. Before his emotions got the better of him with Christine's words, he quickly turned and walked to the secret mirror. "I need to return to Laurette."

"Of course," said Raoul smiling at him in the mirror. He hugged Christine. Erik tapped on the mirror and was about to walk through when Raoul spoke again. "And when will the wedding be?"

Erik slowly turned to face him. "We have not planned one."

"Oh but you must!" exclaimed Christine. "Just saying the vows is reason enough to celebrate! And you have so many that could be with both of you. Including us I would hope?"

Erik gave a laugh under his breath and shook his head. "I assure you, despite my feelings about your own husband, I would still include you. However, Laurette is already my wife in spirit. That is all I need." And with that, he turned and walked into the secret passageway, leaving them behind.

Over the next few days, Erik stayed with Laurette, rarely leaving her bed. Most of the time he would simply hold her but other times he would softly sing to her which brought a smile to her face even as she slept. Doctor Charette also stayed by her side, forcing her at times to take more medication which was a challenge in itself as Laurette wanted very little to do with food or water, and forcing her to drink was a an all out battle at times.

When she was finally well enough to sit up, Laurette begged Erik to take her to the Music Room. "Please Erik, I am so tired of laying here. I only want to go there for a few moments, just to walk around."

"You can just as easily walk into the dining room to eat." She gave him a frown and Erik laughed, pleased that her temper had at least returned. "Laurette, I know you too well. You will want to sit and play at the piano. It will not be for just a few moments by any means."

"Oh Erik, please. I promise I will return to bed for the rest of the day." A sadness crossed her face. "Even I must admit that I have little doubt how tired I will be just from the walk alone," she said softly.

Seeing her admit the weakness of her physical endurance softened him and Erik cursed. He always wanted to make Laurette happy. "Only for a few moments Laurette," he said in a low tone. "And you have to let me carry you back here." She opened her mouth to protest but he quickly interrupted. "That is the condition or I will hold you down and I admit that I could continue to hold you for the next few days."

She sighed and then nodded. Erik moved off the bed and retrieved a very warm robe and wrapped her in it. Then he took each of her little feet and made sure they were covered in warm slippers.

Helping her to her feet, Erik held her close to him as they slowly walked out of her suite. It was early in the evening and Erik could see the sun beginning to set through the windows in the dining room, the orange colors splashing onto the walls. Maria for a change was no where in sight which suited him fine as most likely she would only further Erik's frustration with the fact that he was allowing Laurette to do this.

But it was well worth his effort as when they finally arrived within the room; Laurette beamed a beautiful smile and immediately made her way over to the piano. Smiling himself, he stood and watched her as she eagerly sat down and caressed the keys with her fingers. Then she slowly began to play.

To Laurette's dismay, she had to stop several times, her fingers too weak and trembling to play the keys. Erik's heart dropped at the sight of her face and the realization that Paul had been correct. Her health may very well never be the same again. Fatigue and weakness would plague her for the rest of her days.

She had stopped playing and was looking at the keys sadly. Erik thought for a moment and then approached, sitting down next to her. He circled his arm around her but instead of simply holding her; he reached down to the keys and placed her hand on top of his. She gave a laugh under her breath and followed suit with the other hand. He began to play her soothing, melodic song and he felt her relax against him. He continued to play for some time, her hands on top of his, until he felt her beginning to lean heavily into his chest. Knowing she was too tired to continue, he finished the melody and held her hands, feeling her slightly squeeze back.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He hugged her and kissed her head gently. Standing up, he was just about to scoop her up into his arms when the door began to open. Startled, Erik had too little of time to pick up Laurette who was motioning for him to hide. Just as someone appeared, Erik slipped out of the room to hide behind the secret mirror. Cursing as he was angry at Laurette still sitting there, he peered to see who it was.

"Well well! My, look who we have here? Feeling better are we?" asked Monsieur Garier smirking at her. Erik was seething behind the mirror but relieved to see Raoul and Christine quickly appearing.

"Laurette!" exclaimed Raoul. "You should not be here! You should be in bed. I am certain Er-, I mean, Doctor Charette would be furious," he said, stumbling for a moment to correct him in time not to say Erik's name.

"I-I just came for a short time," replied Laurette nervously. "I wanted to play and then return to bed to rest. I was just feeling tired and about to return." she said motioning to the piano in front of her.

"Yes, of course, I can see how very ill you are," said Monsieur Garier sarcastically.

"That is enough," said Raoul. "You are only here because you said you were interested in selling your share of the Opera Populaire to me."

"What?" asked Laurette as shock came across her face.

Damn! Erik had not gotten the chance to even discuss the deed and what had happened with her. She had been too ill and he had hoped to surprise her at another time. But now she would not understand.

"Yes, I own more then half now," said Raoul looking at her with almost a puzzled expression.

"Y-you do?" asked Laurette incredulously.

"Not for long," said Monsieur Garier in a low tone and then he suddenly strode over and grabbed Laurette. Pulling her in front of him, Erik saw to his horror that Monsieur Garier now held a knife to her throat.

"No!" cried Christine rushing forward but then stopping as Monsieur Garier tightened his embrace around Laurette.

Raoul's fists were clenched. "Let her go."

Monsieur Garier laughed. "I was going to use your wife for my means but this is by far better. Now, we are going to play by my rules Count. I want you to hand over the deed in your name to me. I alone will own the Opera Populaire."

Raoul shook his head. "It is not even in my name."

"What?" roared Monsieur Garier. "Tell me who it is now or I will kill her!"

"You would commit murder and risk everything? Come now, Monsieur, I hardly see that with your status in society."

Monsieur Garier gave an evil smile. "No? She has been so ill that I am certain no one will question that she quietly died in her bed. And with me so distraught over her death, no one would even question that I insist on all the funeral arrangements, never allowing anyone to see the cut on her pretty neck."

Raoul shook his head again. "You are mad and your story is ridiculous. Let her go now."

"I have nothing to lose at this point Count. Tell me the name."

He hesitated. But then he looked into the mirror where Erik hid. Raoul cautiously approached Monsieur Garier walking to the side. In response Monsieur Garier turned, keeping Laurette in front of him and Raoul, but to Erik's pure delight, his back was now facing him. Pulling his own knife out of his sleeve, Erik emerged silently from the mirror. Raoul glanced at him but focused his attention back on Laurette.

"Tell me!" shouted Monsieur Garier.

As Erik approached, Raoul smiled. "I see no reason as to why I should not. One of the owners is the woman responsible for reviving this Opera House. She is the only one deserving of such a prize."

"What?" yelled Monsieur Garier crushing Laurette to him tighter still. Then he bent his head, placing his lips next to her ear. "Well my dear, I told you that you could be so much more. But you had to do something as foolish as this. You will hand over the deed to me. Where is it? And who is the other name? Tell me now," he demanded.

"I-I do not know where any deed is," Erik heard Laurette's choking reply. He was almost upon Monsieur Garier.

"Tell me the other name then! Tell me who has the deed! Who is it?" asked Monsieur Garier in a gruff voice. He pressed the knife against her throat and Erik heard Laurette give a small whimper causing him to react with a flash and hold his own knife against Monsieur Garier's neck.

"_Me_," said Erik in a low tone.

Shocked to feel the cold blade against his own throat, Monsieur Garier faltered in his hold on Laurette who used her last bit of strength to wrench away from him. Raoul caught her and she steadied herself, turning back around to look at them.

"Oh how I have_ longed for _this moment," whispered Erik in a chilling tone. This was it. This was Erik's most passionate dream in holding this man in preparation for his death.

"Erik…,"

He looked up at the sound of Laurette's voice. Her blue eyes were like pools of water, pleading with him. Erik only tightened the blade against Monsieur Garier's neck as he gave a strangled cry.

"_Erik!_"

He stopped at the sound of that voice. His anchor to sanity. But he shook his head and glared at Laurette. "Give me one reason why I should not," demanded Erik in a low voice.

Laurette suddenly stood tall and without Raoul's assistance stepped forward. "Because you are Erik. My Erik. My soul mate. And I have waited so long for you. Do not let him win now. Do not let him take you from me," she said in a trembling voice.

Erik stared at her.

"Yes," said Monsieur Garier hoarsely, "I will give you anything…,"

"_I have not made my decision yet_," growled Erik pressing the knife closer to Monsieur Garier's throat causing him to choke.

"Erik."

Surprised, Erik raised his eyes to find Laurette now standing only a few feet away. She was shockingly calm, her gaze continuing to penetrate his soul.

His soul.

It was already condemned so who gave a damn? He was going to kill this man. There was no doubt in Erik's mind. But he could not bring himself to do it in front of Laurette. Swearing under his breath, Erik quickly took Monsieur Garier's own knife away and then released him, but not first without a taste of the pain Erik fully intended to still carry out at a later time. He cruelly twisted Monsieur Garier's arm and shoved him to the floor. Howling, Monsieur Garier begged for mercy. Satisfied at seeing the fear in the man's eyes, Erik released him and strode over to Laurette who reached up to embrace him.

But to Erik's complete shock, she was suddenly ripped away from him. He heard Christine's cry and saw Raoul rush forward but it was too late. Monsieur Garier once more had Laurette, another small knife he had hidden was now at her throat.

"Get back!" he spat, tightening his embrace around Laurette. "_Who the hell are you?_"

Erik was seething, ready to lunge for Laurette but he stopped cold as Monsieur Garier suddenly caused a small cut on her neck. Seeing Laurette's blood trickle down her neck shook Erik's core.

"You will not dare cause her further harm," said Erik in a dangerous voice.

"Yes, I know, or you will kill me. But as you can see, I have the advantage," snarled Monsieur Garier.

Erik's mouth formed an evil smile that caused Monsieur Garier to shudder. "I did not say I would kill you. Release her now and I will give you a quick death to spare you from my plans."

"Plans?" echoed Monsieur Garier trying not to strain his voice.

"As women are present I will not describe my normal method of death in detail. But I can assure you, the process takes days and you will soon realize how much you appreciate each limb you still have left."

Monsieur Garier's face paled.

"Let her go," said Raoul from behind Erik.

And then suddenly Monsieur Garier's eyes went wide. To everyone's shock, a blade of steel came out of his throat. His grasp on Laurette went limp and she blindly stumbled away, leaving Monsieur Garier to slump and fall to the ground.

Dion was left standing holding a bloody sword.

"D-Dion?" asked Laurette in a bewildered voice.

Erik was about to thank him for coming to their aid but something stopped him. It was Dion's eyes. They were black blazing eyes staring at him, at Laurette. Erik instinctively reached out and brought Laurette to his side, pushing her slightly behind him.

"I trusted you," said Dion in a low voice.

Christine and Raoul looked confused at one another then looked at Erik.

"I thought in the end you would do what was best for her. I thought that you loved her enough that you would end all of this. But I had to do it all for you!"

"Dion…what-what are you saying?" stammered Laurette.

"From the beginning when I learned what kind of man Monsieur Garier was I knew he would take you from me."

"What?"

"I protected you all those years, making sure your secret was kept safe."

"Yes Dion," Laurette said softly, "You helped hide the fact that I was director all those years at my stepfather's theater."

He laughed coldly in response, the sound chilling Erik.

"How foolish you think I am Madame. I hid the secret of your love affair with your stepfather of course."

Laurette's eyes widened in shock. "No…,"

"No one else knew but I did. I saw what it was that you really wanted. And I give you credit for using him in such a manner to get where you wanted in the director status."

Laurette shook her head.

"And then when you came here I quickly saw that Monsieur Garier would be the one using you, not the other way around. I knew then that I could help you, that I could destroy your enemies one by one until you had everything. And most of all, you would realize I was the one that gave it all to you."

"Dion…," whispered Laurette, "What have you done?"

He laughed again in response. "Oh it is not what I have done Madame, but rather what your new lover did for you. At first of course I did not know that he existed. But when we first came here I soon found out the legend to be true in regards to no one going down below. Monsieur Paquet was far too eager to please Monsieur Garier and take you away from me."

"Monsieur Paquet?" echoed Laurette.

"Oh God, surely you remember the man! He was so fat he could barely stand!"

Erik's heart caught in his throat.

"The man Julia found…he had a heart attack," said Laurette in a fearful voice.

"Why of course not. Oh I have little doubt in due time he would have, but I could simply not wait. The man had spoken with that wench Madam Bovie. Both were jealous of the attention you were taking away from them. And both had plotted to cause you very poor publicity, ruining your reputation."

Dion shifted in his stance and lowered the sword, standing in almost a gentleman's stance as if just finished some harmless act, yet Monsieur Garier's lifeless body was still releasing a pool of blood, his eyes still open in shock in the last moments of his death.

"So you murdered Monsieur Paquet?" quivered Laurette.

"Not me Madame. I simply locked the door after I shoved him into the depths below. I was quite pleased when he turned up dead, realizing that perhaps there was some truth to the haunted creature that lived below. I knew Monsieur Garier would take care of Madame Bovie's reputation of course, moving to the next woman in upper society to belittle her. But I was even more pleased when the same tactic worked again with that idiotic opera critic."

"Monsieur Allard? No…no Dion…why…how could you-," Laurette trembled.

"The bastard was going to write a bad opera review Madame. It was absolutely necessary. And there was of course some other damn associate of Monsieur Leduc…met him at the ball. He was some religious idiot that was condemning you for being unmarried and in a director role. I heard him telling Monsieur Leduc not to pursue you because you were unclean. I could not have him saying such things about you. It was quite easy to talk with him after your second performance on stage. It was easy to lure him to the backstage pretending to show him some ridiculous religious artifacts that were stashed away down below."

"No," whispered Laurette.

"Oh Madame please," drawled Dion, "Do you really think you would have made it this far in society unless certain actions were taken? Philippe was damn lucky…it was I of course who showed him a way down below."

"Why?" asked Laurette with a trembling voice. "He…he did nothing but help me…,"

"He had seen me with Monsieur Allard the night he died. More than once I turned around and found him watching me in the oddest of places. He was lucky the Maestro had the right timing in looking for him."

Erik remembered that day…the day Philippe was told about the props down below. It had been Dion. It was all beginning to come eerily together but with a sense of madness.

"And Nicole?" asked Laurette in a choked voice. "Was she really killed in the streets on her walk home?"

"While I admit that some lunatic was on a killing spree in Paris which was most convenient, there can be no credit given to such a serial killer. As for Nicole, I think you should ask our Maestro here."

Laurette's face paled and she stepped away from Erik who was glaring at Dion. "Erik?"

Erik's eyes did not look at her, but stayed fastened to Dion's face. "Tell me why," said Erik in gruff voice. "Why would you murder someone as innocent as her."

"I did not murder her," said Dion smugly. "You did."

Erik glanced at Laurette who was in a state of shock at this point. Then he angrily turned to Dion. "_Why?_" he demanded.

"Because despite the fact that I love Madame more then anyone else, I truly realized how much she actually loved you. Although eventually I knew she would see what you really are, I could not have you claiming Nicole. That would have ended things prematurely as well as truly hurt Madame. I was willing to do anything to make sure no one hurt her in any way."

Erik slowly shook his head, conscious of how Laurette had stepped away from him and too close to Dion for his liking. But he stilled himself. "Nicole was no more then a child."

"Yes about the same age that the Countess was when you fell in love with her wouldn't you say? Nothing wrong with that of course as today's men in society marry women half their age all the time. The point is that I could not allow her infatuation with you to continue."

"Nicole had no infatuation with me in regard to love," said Erik in a strained voice. "I gave her the confidence she needed in dance. That was all."

"Oh right, of course Maestro," said Dion smiling. He casually reached in his pocket to retrieve a handkerchief and began to wipe off the blood off the sword. "So you killed her out of pleasure then."

"He had no choice!"

Stunned, Erik looked at Laurette who had suddenly gone from being in shock to fury. Her hands were clenched into fists and her eyes narrowed in anger at Dion who had stopped cleaning the sword in response.

"Of course he did," said Dion coolly.

"Erik had traps set to protect his home. I saw one of them." She looked at Erik. "That was how she died wasn't it?"

Erik was speechless. He could only give a simple nod as the pain in her discovery swept through him. But she suddenly reached out to him and touched his mask to which he bowed his head, trying to hold back his emotion as he knew she suddenly understood what had happened. She turned back to Dion.

"You killed Nicole."

Dion shook his head.

"You locked her away in the depths. She had no choice but to eventually look for another way out."

"Yes. And the Maestro could have easily dismantled the traps by that point. Perhaps he enjoyed finding what victim had fallen into his traps."

"No, he was protecting his home, his own life."

Dion suddenly raised the sword and all too quickly it was pointing at Erik's chest.

"You honestly think you can believe this mad man? Madame…Laurette, you must know the murderer he truly is. Do not let your love for him blind you to what is the truth. This is a man who has murdered many before any of these recent victims during our time. Do you forget that he was so madly in love with the Countess that he caused the very opera chandelier to fall? How many do you think he killed that night alone?" He glared at Erik. "Can you deny it?"

Erik was trying to control his heavy breathing, his every instinct to snatch Laurette away. He debated in his mind about this. Dion was so in love with Laurette perhaps he would not hurt her. But then if Dion could not have her, Erik knew full well that he may not allow anyone to have her, even if that meant her death.

"No, I cannot deny that love can cause one's mind to not think logically," Erik said looking right into Dion's eyes.

"Oh logic? Is that what you call it? What a nice term for saying that you are truly mad, a man that lost his sanity in the moment and killed so many for love."

"Is it any different then your actions now Dion?" asked Erik softly.

Dion's face froze for a moment, as if he suddenly realized what he had done. But he quickly hid the expression. "I have always been there for her. I am _nothing_ like you." He looked at Laurette. "I always have been with you. I love you. Do you not understand? This man would eventually destroy you. Look at how he has twisted you into believing he is not a monster. Search your heart Laurette, you know what he is. I did not want to kill Monsieur Garier but he gave me no choice. This monster was supposed to carry out such a task just as he did with the others. But he could not do so in front of you. But you heard him; he was going to do it anyway. He is a murderer. Do not think otherwise."

Laurette turned her head slightly to Erik. She hesitated and then drew a calming breath and turned back to look at Dion. "I love him. I am sorry Dion, I love Erik. I do not know how I could ever make you understand with what you have come to believe."

Dion's hand holding the sword began to tremble. "Then you give me no choice but to destroy him just as he has done to you!" He lunged forward but Erik was already surprisingly not there, dodging the stroke easily. Dion lunged again and then faltered as hands grabbed his shoulders. Stunned, he turned to find Laurette pulling him back, trying to force him away from Erik.

Erik took the advantage while he had it. With his head turned in that brief second looking in shock at Laurette, Erik slammed his fist into Dion's face who then stumbled to the side. Erik reached for the handle of the sword. Dion's eyes flashed with hatred and he swiftly brought down his free hand on top of Erik's hand, struggling for the sword. Dion was surprisingly stronger then he anticipated, yet Erik knew the demon within was beginning to break free. The memory of Nicole's angelic face that he covered with a blanket flashed before him. He broke the sword free from Dion's grasp and in one swift stroke, Erik pierced the blade through his chest.

Dion's eyes went wide with shock and he fell to the ground on his knees. He looked down, his hand coming to his chest to see the blood freely spilling between his fingers. His head turned up to Laurette who had rushed forward but then stopped next to Erik who protectively held her in place.

"I…loved…you," gasped Dion. Then he fell to the floor, his body slumping forward.

Erik continued to watch with no mercy, holding Laurette as she sobbed. Dion's blood flowed onto the floor, a bright red river that eventually met with the cold dark blood of Monsieur Garier.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Erik watched through the windows in the morning as the rain poured down. It had been gloomy and overcast for the last few days. How ironic that it fit the depression Laurette now felt. She had stayed in bed without any protest during this time. It was as if Dion's death was a mark upon her own soul and now she was punishing herself for being so naïve not to see the madness that had overtaken him. Erik's words were of little comfort it seemed. He tried to tell her that no one could have known. Even he was still in shock looking back. While Erik could now see some of the small signs that something was wrong, there was no way he would have recognized how far Dion's madness had gone.

He gave a sigh and went back to the dining room table. Sitting in the darkened room by himself, he picked up his tea. Taking a sip, he stared once more at the newspaper. It detailed how Monsieur Garier was found dead in his own estate with Dion.

Early reports indicated that somehow they had fought and killed each other. But now, just as Erik had planned, the stories pointed to Dion as the serial killer and that Monsieur Garier had been paying him for the murders. The story claimed that the two had some type of disagreement over the payment causing them to kill each other. The façade was not an easy one to create, but Raoul had assisted in using some of his most trusted sources as well as some of Monsieur Garier's enemies, to produce enough evidence into making the story believable. Some of it was quite easy as Monsieur Garier's own letters and documents were discovered to detail his ruthless quest in power, even making mention to remove political figures out of his way. Although there were no details, it was quickly assumed that Dion would have been used to assure they were removed.

"Maestro?" asked Maria politely as she entered the room with Paul behind her. "Doctor Charrette is here."

Erik stood up. "Thank you Maria. Paul, please, have a seat."

The doctor let Maria take his coat and hat then walked over to join Erik. Sitting slowly, he focused on the pastries in front of him. "You know Raoul already spoke with me. I know what has happened," said Paul quietly.

Erik nodded. "I do not expect for you to understand that I have yet taken another life. But I wanted you to check on Laurette."

Paul turned his eyes on Erik. "You did what you had to do."

Erik grimaced. "Yes, I did."

"And yet you were not the one who killed Monsieur Garier."

"I admit that I have major regret on that issue."

Surprisingly, Paul gave a slight laugh. "How can I blame you?"

Erik breathed out a quiet laugh as well. "I am glad you agree."

"Well, maybe not about murder Erik, but...," Paul paused and then his hand snaked out to grab one of the pastries. "Even I have to admit the man was worthless," he muttered biting into the sweet treat.

"Yes, well despite the fact that he is now out of the way, not to mention the amazing circumstances that Laurette and I own the Opera House, it is not a happy time."

Paul paused, swallowing the pastry. "I take it Laurette is not doing well."

Erik sighed. "No. It is as if she feels guilty for enjoying what is rightfully hers because of Dion's death."

"I did not know Dion that well," said Paul as he finished the pastry and wiped his mouth with one of the crisp napkins Maria had lain out. "But I have to admit that I never would have suspected such a thing from him. How is the Company?"

"They are in shock of course. We have not held rehearsal nor do we plan to have any performances for the next few weeks. The city would not expect such a thing under the circumstances." Erik shook his head. "Armond was Dion's closest friend. I am not certain he will even return. He had mentioned to me once that Dion would disappear for hours at a time. Now we know it was due to Dion's activities in his planning of events. Even Armond would have never guessed at such a thing."

Paul was about to speak but remained silent when Maria brought in more tea. He smiled at her in gratitude as she poured him a cup. "Has Laurette been able to eat or drink anything?"

"Of course not."

Paul took a sip of tea and set it down. "Then you better take me to see her. Mary will be arriving shortly as well."

Erik nodded grimly and led the doctor to Laurette's suite. Upon entering her room, he saw her in bed, not moving as usual. He quietly sat down on the bed and stroked her hair. "Doctor Charette his here," he said softly. She gave no response.

Paul frowned somewhat and moved to the opposite side of the bed. Sitting down on it, he reached out and touched her head. "No fever at least," he murmured. Mary suddenly came in and quickly handed him his bag. But when he took out more medication, Laurette's hand suddenly went to his wrist.

"Please…no more," she whispered.

"You have to fight Laurette."

She shook her head. "No…I mean, I am not…physically sick."

Paul's face softened. "I understand Laurette. But if you continue to refuse nourishment for your body, then I will have no choice. You are already physically too weak."

She nodded before closing her eyes. "I will try."

"When?"

She opened her eyes again seeing the look of Paul's determined face and she gave a slight acknowledgement with a nod. Erik moved forward to help her sit up. She had difficulty and Paul reached down to help. He had placed one of his hands behind her shoulder, the other down on her waist where she suddenly inhaled sharply as if in pain.

"Laurette?" asked Paul. "Does it hurt when I touch you here?" He pressed down on her lower abdomen. She winced the closer his hands moved towards her womanhood. He sat down on the bed again. "Laurette, have you ever been…fully examined?"

She looked at him clearly confused. "What do you mean? You have examined me many times."

Paul shook his head. "I mean as in a full female examination," he gently explained.

Erik's chest tightened.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I think I need to check and make sure everything is alright. Women can encounter many problems and complications. It is important."

She looked helplessly at Erik who immediately felt the urge to say no. But he looked at Paul, a doctor who he trusted. Paul's eyes told him it was something that should be done.

"Will you wait outside Erik?"

Mary walked beside the bed and she patted Laurette's hand. "I will be right here."

Erik found himself frowning but he nodded. He kissed Laurette's forehead trying to ignore her pleading eyes. he retreated to the sitting room.

It was quite some time before Paul finally emerged. His face had a serious expression but much to Erik's relief, he smiled when he saw Erik.

"She will be fine. Something I should keep an eye on, but all is well."

"What is it?"

Paul hesitated. "Has Laurette told you…about her childhood?"

Erik looked away. "About…the abuse…she told you?"

"No, but I know from my examination."

Erik nodded.

"Well," said Paul now continuing, "Complications can arise from such a traumatic event. She is lucky the only result was infertility."

Erik's head turned sharply back to Paul. "What did you say?"

"Her inability to…I thought…Erik, I thought you said you knew."

"She told me of the abuse, yes. And I did know about her not being able to have a child, however…she told me it was due to an illness."

"I see," said Paul grimly. He took off his glasses and began to wipe them clean with his handkerchief.

"You are saying…" Erik had to stop.

Paul sighed and sat down in a nearby armchair. "She did not lie to you Erik," he said putting his glasses back on. "She was in fact ill, resulting in infertility."

"Then I do not understand."

Paul shook his head, a harsh look upon his face. "I am not sure how else to say this so I am just going to say it directly. I have seen many cruelties in my time Erik, including the innocent children that befall such evil men. It is unfortunately more common than you think that a man fancies a young child, most of the time young girls of course."

Erik shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He was not sure he wanted to hear the rest of Paul's explanation.

"An adult male is far too…large. Let us just say that no young female is ready to accept a male's body, especially one so young. The removal of their innocence is a burden to the man trying to gain his satisfaction. To make it easier, it is not uncommon for the abuser to remove a young girl's innocence by some type of foreign object. Some have used broom handles, candles, anything they can find to use as a phallus. I have even found some to use-,"

Erik put his hand up, disgusted. He had never been so close to being sick.

"Well," said Paul quietly, "The point is that many times these foreign objects can cause infection. I have seen far too many young girls die in my time from a fever caused by an infection of the uterus. Should they survive, infertility is the normal result."

"Normal?" Erik's voice was strained. "You had pray doctor that I do not ever see Monsieur Beaumont."

"Monsieur Beaumont?" echoed Paul with his eyes widening. "You mean…are you telling me it was…him? Her stepfather?"

Erik clenched his jaw.

Paul stood up and paced across the room. "That damn…I cannot believe… Oh god," he said suddenly sinking into a chair, his hands covering his eyes beneath his glasses.

Erik could certainly understand the doctor's anger in finding out it was Monsieur Beaumont, but the strong reaction puzzled him. The doctor removed his hands and took off his glasses once more. Looking at Erik, he drew a deep breath.

"I saw Laurette's mother once. Her doctor was unable to attend to her on a visit so I stepped in. I saw the bruises on areas underneath her night dress. I saw the fear in her eyes when Monsieur Beaumont walked in the room even though he tenderly kissed her." Paul closed his eyes. "If I had known that she had a daughter….but I did not know that information at the time." He opened his eyes, shaking his head in disgust.

"There are moments such as this that make me realize just how much more Laurette suffered than I did in childhood," said Erik quietly.

Paul raised his head. "She would not say that Erik."

"I was not accepted in society. But can you think of an even worse fate to be living such a lie? To be forced to please society while physically and mentally being tortured?"

"Do not ever think your suffering was any less," said Paul. When Erik shook his head, the doctor smiled. "If anything, it is a wondrous union that the two of you found each other. Is it not?"

Warmth flooded through Erik at the thought of what Laurette had given him. "Yes."

Paul stood up and walked past Erik, patting him on the shoulder as he headed for Laurette's bedroom door to retrieve Mary. "Then you and Laurette should not dwell on the past but the future you have together."

Erik nodded silently and bowed his head in farewell to Mary as she emerged with Paul. After they had left, Erik returned to Laurette's darkened room. Locking the door, he shed his clothes and crawled into bed with her. He had only intended to hold her but she began to press her body closely against his. He could feel her breasts brushing against his chest and he suddenly felt the warm softness of her lips on his neck.

"Laurette-,"

"Please Erik," she whispered. "I want to feel…I just want to feel. I need you."

Helpless to stop her, Erik allowed her to pull his head down and press her lips against his. Lost once more in her kiss, he gently rolled her onto her back and settled into the warmth of her body.

The next day Erik found himself coming down the aisle in the theater with warm faces greeting him.

"Maestro!"

Erik almost grinned as Julia swept down the aisle in the theater to greet him. The rest of the Company also stepped forward from their places on stage as Erik led Laurette on his arm into the theater.

"I was hoping we would see both of you!" exclaimed Julia.

Erik almost laughed as she simply could not help herself and kissed Laurette with excitement on the cheek. She smiled at Julia in response and Erik was pleased that she had color returning to her face. These last few days Laurette was truly making an effort to come to terms with recent events.

"Thank you Julia," she replied softly.

Erik nodded in approval at Julia and led Laurette to the stage. Helping her up the stairs, he was pointed in his concern for her, not caring now if the whole Company knew of their relationship. And that was one of the reasons for calling them together.

"Quiet, quiet," shouted Gautier over the buzzing voices of the cast who were eager to talk with them.

Once quiet, Erik took a slight step forward and drew a calming breath. "As many of you know, the Opera Populaire is under new management. Madame Duprey is not only your director once again, but the owner in years to come."

The company burst into applause and began to talk all at once again. Gautier stepped forward and quieted them.

"We are in your debt," said Erik not only for himself but for Laurette who was still too weak in her voice to speak loud enough. "Without you, none of this would have been possible."

"Without you we would not be the Company we are today," said one voice.

"We may not have even existed!" said another.

Several more voices chimed in and Erik raised his hand to quiet them. "Thank you. It is true that we were all this together. Success is not just in the performance, but in our loyalty to each other."

More murmurs of agreement followed but before they could begin to openly applaud again, Erik interrupted. He drew a deep breath.

"Laurette has agreed to be my wife."

There was no other way to lead into such a revelation, so Erik found he almost blurted it out. But he was tired now of the secrecy. Professional or not, he loved Laurette and did not care if the entire world knew.

Some of the company was in shock while others, especially the ballet dancers, were smiling knowingly. Erik placed his hand protectively around Laurette's on his arm. At least she wasn't running.

Not that she could have. Suddenly she and Erik were surrounded by the Company wishing them congratulations and sharing openly their excitement. Laurette blushed several times but accepted the hugs of several women while Erik received a number of respectful handshakes from the men.

"When is the wedding?"

"Are we invited?"

"Where will it be?"

Laurette hesitated. "We…we really have not discussed-,"

"Oh you must have it here in the Opera House!" exclaimed Chantel.

"The ballroom of course," said Andre.

"We will keep complete secrecy," came a male voice that suddenly quieted the room. It was Armond. He came through the crowd and looked at them.

"Armond," murmured Laurette. "We are glad that you are still with us."

"How could I not be? This is my family." Several agreed and said words of encouragement. He beamed suddenly. "And after all, this is only a small wedding, nothing like us trying to keep an entire Company with a phantom director quiet."

The joyous sound of laughter rang out from the Company and Erik breathed a sigh of relief. But he noticed Laurette's tired eyes as they crowded around her and he waved them off.

"Since we are all here, why don't we demonstrate to your director how far we all have come," declared Erik.

The company applauded with delight and Erik led Laurette down to the theater seats. He suddenly realized that Justine was standing almost center stage, staring at them. For a moment, Erik thought that he was almost angry but Justine's head turned toward Julia on the opposite side of the stage. He could feel Laurette grow tense next to him as Justine suddenly strode over to her. Erik clenched his fists and was about to stand up. But Justine gently took Julia's hand and began to sing the song, with no music, from their very first performance.

Shocked, Julia tried to pull away. "Justine…stop."

But his voice grew louder.

The company was in complete silence and was watching. Julia was looking bewildered as Justine continued to sing the song to her, for her, with intense passion. She jerked away from him and strode over to the opposite side of the stage. But when she turned around to look back at him, he was slowly following her, moving toward her. Then the sound of a violin could be heard and then the woodwinds joined in. Erik suddenly realized that the musicians were now playing the song.

This of course only made Justine more determined. As the song swelled, he reached Julia and knelt down at her feet, taking her hand and singing as if his life depended upon such a thing. The song ended and there was silence. Justine slowly stood up with Julia looking at him, tears in her eyes.

And then he reached down and kissed her in front of everyone.

There was a slight gasp from the company as they watched such intimacy and what Julia's reaction would be. But when Justine pulled away from her and looked into her eyes, Julia gave way to a beautiful smile and the company burst into applause.

Erik was not smiling. He and Laurette were now standing after observing the entire episode. He looked at Laurette in anger. She did not appear happy either but took a deep breath and squeezed Erik's hand. It was then Erik realized that they were helpless. By announcing their own love, there was no way to stop Justine now in his courtship of Julia.

Julia was now blushing wildly as Justine beamed a triumphant smile and embraced her. His smile disappeared as he suddenly saw Erik walking swiftly up the stairs to the stage. The company backed away quickly. But Justine stood tall before him, as if he knew already with the announcement of Erik's relationship with Laurette, there was little he could say. Erik glared at him anyway and looked at Joseph who was also looking with disapproval at his musicians.

"I think we have had enough impromptu performances for today. I suggest you begin with Act I of our next performance." His eyes flashed with anger at Justine again. "We have wasted enough time already today."

"Of course," replied Justine smugly before Joseph could answer.

Erik frowned and stood for a few more moments in front of him while Julia avoided his eyes. Then he nodded at Joseph and walked down off the stage back to Laurette. The rehearsal continued and for the rest of the day Erik had to endure the relentless whispers from the women as well as Justine happily being affectionate with Julia who was now accepting his attention.

Tired, Erik led Laurette to the dining room at the end of the day. She almost clung to him wearily as they walked down the hall. Getting up the stairs had also been a challenge and Erik was still irritated that she refused to let him carry her. But she did not want the Company to see her in such a weakened state. Seating her at the dining room table, he hovered over her.

"You cannot do a full day of rehearsal," criticized Erik. "From now on you must pace yourself. Start with half days or so until your strength returns."

"You know very well my strength will never return," she replied quietly staring down at her plate as they waited for Maria to serve the food.

He sat down and grasped her hand tightly. He knew she was right from what Paul had said. "That does not mean you cannot try. Perhaps if you just allow yourself more recovery time you will regain some of your strength."

She sighed and closed her eyes in defeat as Maria piled food onto her plate. Suddenly she smiled. "Justine seems to have plenty of strength still." Laurette looked at Maria pointedly. "I assume you did hear?"

Maria could not help herself and beamed a smile. "Oh yes! Julia is such a wonderful girl. She is perfect for him!"

Erik frowned and Laurette chuckled. After Maria left, Erik turned to her with his eyes narrowing. "I do not see the amusement you do. Do you really think it is so good of a fit?"

Laurette laughed. "I never said if I thought it was or was not a fit for either of them. But I enjoy telling you that I told you so."

He shook his head. "Little angel, you will do well to remember that your other thought was that such a relationship will not last long. I look forward to that very day."

"Well at least you are admitting that I am right."

Erik laughed. "Yes, as usually you are wrong."

Her eyes widened. "Never," she said smiling. "And I am the director after all."

"Yes but I am also an owner of this Opera House."

"Management should not have any say in the world of the arts."

He laughed again. "But you have such a new talented owner now. One who will give you quite enough satisfaction in return for my requests."

"I believe that is called harassment."

"Is it? I thought it was just a normal incentive," he said smiling.

She laughed in return and shook her head. "You are terrible."

He reached out and kissed her hand. "I have truly missed you saying that. Now eat."

After dinner, Laurette and Erik retired to the Music Room for a quiet evening. Cradling her against him on the chaise as she read a book, he happily worked on his own music for once, feeling quite creative.

"It still annoys me that you can do that."

"Do what?"

"Compose without sitting at the piano."

"Good."

She swatted his shoulder and he laughed.

"Um…Madame?"

Erik looked up to see Justine suddenly standing in the room and immediately straightened, taking his arm away from holding Laurette. Despite his announcement to marry Laurette, Erik still had some regard to his private intimacy with her. Where was Maria? She should have announced that Justine wanted to see them.

Laurette closed her book. "Yes?"

He shifted awkwardly. "I…I am sorry to intrude. I am afraid I have a terrible favor to ask of you…well, both of you."

Oh good God, what the hell did he want now, thought Erik irritably. He realized in this moment that he would still like nothing better than to somehow remove Justine. Perhaps not kill him, but just get him out of the way. He was causing too many disruptions, especially now with Julia. He signed heavily knowing there was nothing he could do as they stilled needed his damn voice. Still, Andre was coming along nicely….

"Well?" asked Laurette when Justine still did not say anything.

"Maria…well, I was just wondering if she could use some help."

"Help?" asked Erik. "She seems to try and actually find things to do. And she manages the cleaning staff for the theater quite well when they are here. They more than help her do those tasks."

"Well…yes, I suppose that is true. I just thought maybe…well, maybe you could use someone for the more intense labor like fixing things."

"Fixing things?" echoed Erik. "Most of the crew in the Company assist her already with maintenance issues even outside of the theater."

"Well, yes. I just…well maybe you need someone else."

"Justine get to the point!" snapped Erik irritably. He was interrupting Erik's evening with Laurette and although he knew they would have plenty of time, he didn't plan on wasting even one day with her.

"Charles needs a job," blurted Justine suddenly.

"Who?"

"Maria's husband."

Laurette shifted and sat up. "Why?"

"He resigned. It is dishonorable to do such a thing of course, but if he did so then he must have good reason. I trust him completely. So do other families as he already has several offers but-,"

"So he can take a job elsewhere," interrupted Erik. They had no need for another personal servant, even if this was Maria's husband.

"He…well, he would prefer not to work for another family. He is only a few years away from retirement. Please Maestro, Madame, will you at least consider it?"

"Why didn't Maria just ask us?" asked Erik. But he knew the answer even before Justine spoke.

"It would be improper-,"

"Yes, of course," muttered Erik. Why couldn't people just speak plainly rather than worry about being 'proper'? It was ridiculous playing such games. "I suppose he could help in the re-finishing of the ballroom."

"What?" asked Laurette. "Monsieur Garier already did that."

"Exactly," he replied. "He had it so lavishly overdone that one cannot see the original beauty of the architecture in the room as it was meant to be. And the colors he chose were hideous. It should be restored properly."

"Hmm, well I suppose you will have to get your partner's approval on that," Laurette said smiling. Erik felt a wave of desire pass through him as he thought of more than a few intimate ways he could gain her approval and make her say exactly what he wanted.

Justine shifted uncomfortably. "D-does that mean you agree?"

"Yes, Justine," replied Laurette. "You may bring him by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you."

"I would assume there are no issues with him staying in Maria's room?" asked Erik almost sarcastically. He still thought it was ludicrous that the two lived apart for all these years.

Justine ignored him. "Um, Madame?"

"Yes?"

"I…I am sorry for this afternoon."

Erik frowned.

"Yes I know Justine. But I do expect in the future for you to still follow our directions. No further interruptions such as what happened will be acceptable. Is that understood?"

"Yes Madame."

To Erik's relief, he bowed politely and left. "Finally," he muttered.

"You let him bother you too much," scolded Laurette.

He looked down at her. "It bothers me that he will most likely break Julia's heart with his ways."

"Sometimes one must learn realities despite the pain of losing that innocence."

"Hopefully that is not the physical pain in being intimate with him," replied Erik harshly. The thought of Julia in bed with Justine still made his stomach turn.

"I was not referring to the loss of her innocence," said Laurette smiling. "And I doubt Julia with her strong religious background would give into such a thing anyway."

"Then what do you mean?"

"I was referring to Justine by the loss of innocence."

"What?"

Laurette just continued to smile.

"Justine is as innocent as a wolf," said Erik in a grave tone. "He easily ensnares his prey and then walks away leaving it in great satisfaction with no remorse." Laurette laughed in response and he shook his head giving a sigh. Then he looked at her with serious eyes. "And I believe we have not finished our earlier conversation."

"What conversation?"

"Gaining your approval for the renovation of the ball room," he murmured as he slowly pressed his lips against hers.

"I think I shall allow you to carry me now," breathed Laurette when he pulled away.

"Good."

Then Erik picked her up from the chaise and carried her off to their bedroom.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"Good morning Sir."

Erik stiffened somewhat in response to the man who now stood before him. Justine had brought Charles almost immediately to the ball room for an introduction after they had finished eating breakfast. Although Erik's life had changed, he was still distrusting of anyone new that came into his world.

"Justine, you may go now," said Erik. He did not need Justine to see him in an uncomfortable state. Fortunately Justine seemed to realize the need to remain quiet and he left without a word.

"What are my orders Sir?"

Erik studied Charles for a moment. He was about the same height, standing tall and looking very proper in his butler's attire. He had a head of silver hair and was clean shaven. He held an air of dignity about him, his age shown by the lines etched in his face. But despite his age, Charles had eyes that seemed to shine with alertness. He was ready to take on whatever task lie before him.

Erik clasped Laurette's hand on his arm. She was standing quietly and letting Erik take the lead much to his annoyance. Still, he had certainly convinced her last night about the renovation of the ballroom…

"In the library you will find archives of the architecture of the Opera Populaire. I would like this room restored to its original beauty in appearance. The elegance of the room itself should stand alone, not in its decoration."

"Of course Sir. I will begin at once Sir."

Erik dismissed him and began to walk with Laurette to the Music Room. But suddenly Julia, Chantel, and Melanie appeared. They looked nervously at Erik.

"What are you doing here?" questioned Erik. That was no rehearsal scheduled today.

"Well, we…," stammered Chantel.

"We need to speak with Madame alone," blurted out Julia.

Erik felt Laurette stiffen on his arm. "Why?" he asked.

"It is…personal," replied Julia.

Erik looked at Laurette who frowned. "Julia, I have quite a lot to do in getting ready for the next season. Is this important?"

"When it comes to the preparation for your wedding, yes!" exclaimed Chantel. "What?" she asked when Julia poked her.

Erik was not certain what to say. "Laurette is already my wife," he said softly.

"Not until she has said the vows! And we've already planned so much! Ow!" yelped Chantel again when Julia now pinched her.

Erik's eyes narrowed at them. "We?"

Julia sighed. "Well, yes, the Company of course. We've already arranged a few things. But now we need to discuss some of the…wedding attire with Madame."

Erik slowly looked at Laurette who seemed to have paled somewhat in response. She shifted in her place, tightening her hand on his arm. "And just when is this…event?"

"In four weeks!" exclaimed Chantel.

"And the entire Company is planning this?" asked Laurette softly.

"Oh yes!" said Melanie suddenly smiling.

"Please Madame," said Julia respectfully. "We thought this was something we could do for all that you have done for us."

Erik suddenly realized that Julia was holding a portfolio that appeared to have drawings of…wedding gowns. He tried very hard to swallow his laughter as he knew Laurette would not want any part in an elaborate dress.

She sighed in response. "Very well."

"I will see you in a few hours then," said Erik trying to hide his smile. He almost laughed as she grimaced at him. He walked off toward their suite when he heard something.

Was that music coming from the theater?

Not only that but the melody was somewhat familiar…

Erik hurried through the secret passageways and emerged onto the stage. It was his song they were playing. One of the musicians looked up and stopped causing others to stop. Joseph waved his hands in frustration as they became off tune but then suddenly realized they were looking up at the stage. He looked up.

"Oh…Maestro. Justine said that…that you were in the ball room," said Joseph nervously.

"Did he?" asked Erik in a low tone as he suddenly spied Justine trying to sneak away as he crouched between the theater seats. "Justine!"

Justine stopped and sighed. "Well I suppose we might as well tell him now," he said as he straightened.

"Tell me what?" demanded Erik.

"We thought we would honor you by playing one of your songs at the wedding," said Joseph. "You are very talented and -,"

"How did you obtain my music?" asked Erik with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, well Justine said that it would be alright. I thought you-,"

"Justine!" snapped Erik as he once more began to sneak away who caught once more straightened.

"Good God, does your temper ever go away?"

"How did you obtain my music?" Now Erik was beginning to feel a heat of anger flashing through him. The thought of Justine around any of his things was more than he could bear.

"The Music Room of course. Instead of the theater you had my lesson in there one morning remember? You had been called away briefly by Maria and there was a large folder with music in it. I did not think you would miss one written score when you had so many. Obviously you did not even know I had taken it," said Justine tilting his head to annoy Erik even more.

"You did not know?" asked Joseph who looked at Justine frowning.

"No, I did not give permission for him to steal my music," replied Erik.

"Fine!" snapped Justine. "I thought maybe you would actually like the idea of presenting Madame with a wedding present from something you wrote. I had planned to actually ask you, I just wanted to first see if they could even play the damn thing." The musicians looked at him nervously.

Erik hesitated. More than he would like to admit, Justine's idea had merit. If they were really going to go through with such a wedding ceremony he would have to present her with something. And at this point it did not look like the Company was giving him or Laurette much choice in having this entire affair.

He also had to admit that they had actually been playing it quite well. He had only heard this particular song in his head, never even playing it on the piano. Erik sighed. "I suppose one of my songs may be presented to her."

"It has words too," said Justine smugly. "You could sing it for her."

"The song has meaning without words," replied Erik gruffly. He was not thrilled with the idea of standing in front of the entire Company singing.

"Well, that is alright since I will be singing a solo myself."

"Oh really?" spoke Erik in more of a statement than a question. Thoughts of holding Justine over one of the balconies in the theater were beginning to emerge.

"It will be my present to Madame of course."

"The orchestra has another song and the entire Company will be performing a song of their own," explained Joseph.

"I see."

Justine laughed suddenly much to Erik's annoyance. "Unless you are afraid somehow that my voice will be far more superior to yours."

"I am sure the Maestro delivering such a song himself would have by far more meaning than in competition with your voice," replied Joseph flatly.

"Of course," said Justine smiling.

"I would like to listen to the orchestra for now," said Erik in a low voice. Joseph nodded and turned once more to the musicians. They began to play the slow melodic song he had written. By coincidence, Justine had taken a song he had actually written thinking of Laurette. It was created shortly after the night she had admitted to him the horrid truth about her relationship with her stepfather. When he wrote the song he had remembered his description of how feeling music was so similar to his seduction of her and an image of her beneath him in bed flashed through his mind.

Although the musicians still had improvements to make, Erik was impressed that they had done quite well. He nodded in approval.

"And so will you sing the words?" asked Justine smirking.

"I will give it some thought but I make no promises," snapped Erik. He looked at Joseph. "What are the other songs that will be performed?"

Joseph smiled. "I am afraid that is a surprise Maestro. Otherwise what fun would be in that for you to know what your wedding gifts already are?"

Erik shook his head but gave way to a slight smile. Leaving them to continue their practice, he returned to Laurette and laughed as he saw the women still buzzing around her. She looked up and saw him, but Erik turned away, knowing full well she would make him pay later for not saving her.

Over the next few weeks the Company was buzzing with excitement. It was as if the wedding had turned into a production itself but without Laurette and Erik directing. Both of them tried to ignore the entire affair the best they could while they concentrated on planning the next opera season. But the Company continued to bustle in and out of the Opera house with knowing smiles as they practiced whatever secret wedding gifts they were to perform.

Erik, however, had never been happier in his life. He could care less about any such wedding. He was now spending so much time with Laurette he thought for sure she would grow tired of his constant attention. But she seemed to enjoy it as much as he did. It was as if they could never get enough of each other. He had never known a happier time in his life. Even his relationship with Christine was now in balance although he only tolerated Raoul to a certain extent. Still, he even allowed them to attend dinner one evening with Paul and Mary. Erik was truly amazed how accepted he now was within a circle of people which he now considered friends.

Before he knew it, the day of the wedding was upon them. The night before, Erik made sure Laurette went to bed early so she rested well for their journey after the event. As promised, Paul was loaning them their summer cottage for a brief honeymoon and had even arranged transportation in complete confidence with those he trusted.

But rather than go to bed, Erik walked to the Music room to take some last moments to practice his gift to Laurette. After much thought, Erik decided to sing the lyrics with the song he had written for her. It was the least he could do after she had done the same for him that one night on stage. Still, although he had sang in front of the company, it had been more in demonstration of melodies or parts in the production. He had never performed an entire song in front of them and he was actually annoyed to find himself nervous. He shook his head with his thoughts. Here he was a past murderer who had caused fear with his opera ghost tale. So what was the problem in singing a simple song? He sighed and opened the Music Room door.

"Maestro!" sang out voices in unison.

Erik stopped in his tracks to find the room filled with men. Armond, Maurice, Paul, Andre, and Justine grinned openly at him. Some of the other men in the Company were there as well.

"We thought you might stop by for one last practice," said Andre smiling.

Erik's eyes must have given away his confusion as Justine laughed. "Oh please, you have to have one last drink before you are chained for life!"

It was then Erik noticed they all had bottles of various types of alcohol ready. Some of the men such as Justine had already been drinking.

Paul greeted Erik with a firm pat on the shoulder. "It is tradition," he explained. "All men have to have one last night together before one is taken away by a woman."

Erik shook his head. "I am more than happy to be taken away by Laurette."

"That is not the point!" exclaimed Justine. "Even if you think you will be happy it is just an excuse to have one last night out! And since you don't go out, we thought to bring the night out to you!" The men laughed and nodded.

Erik wasn't sure what to say. It was certainly not in his character to carry on with other men and drink. He had never even seen what Justine and Andre found in the appeal in going out all the time.

Paul smiled and stepped forward. "What do you say Erik?" he asked taking a glass Justine had just filled. "One drink at least?"

"If that is all you can handle," said Justine smugly.

Erik narrowed his eyes at Justine in such a challenge. He may not drink in taverns but he was no stranger to drinking in general. He had used it on more than a few occasions to dull his pain of isolation. He took a step forward, accepted the glass, and downed the liquid in seconds much to the roaring delight of the men. Laughter and commotion followed with the sound of toasting glasses throughout the night.

When Erik opened his eyes in the morning, pain sliced through his head. He struggled to sit up and realized he was in bed but had no memory of when or how he got there. He reached for Laurette but she was gone. It was then he winced as he saw some of the drapes were open letting the sunlight streak into parts of the bedroom. The wedding day was now here. He got out of bed and stood up.

Erik groaned.

His head was going to split in two for sure. Why the hell did he drink that much? He was definitely going to kill Justine now. Erik stumbled over to the bedroom door. Firmly shutting and locking it, Erik took off his mask and then held his head.

He later finally made it to the breakfast table. Fortunately Charles had already added value as he had assisted Erik with dressing. His head hurt so badly that he most likely would have never even managed to put clothes on. Sitting at the table with his head in his hands, Erik sighed and then finally let go with one hand to drink the coffee Maria had set out for him.

"Good morning Maestro!"

The sound of Justine's voice boomed through Erik's head. He glared at Justine as he practically bounced into the chair next to him.

"It is your wedding day you know. You should be happier."

"How is it, may I ask, that you are suffering no ill effects from last night?" muttered Erik as he took another drink of coffee.

Justine shrugged. "Maybe some of us are just better at handling it."

Erik cursed under his breath. "What I should have done was handled you. If my head wasn't ready to come off, I can assure you that I would be making sure you did not have yours."

Justine laughed.

Annoyed, Erik changed the subject. "Where is Laurette?"

"Oh you know," said Justine as he reached out to grab a pastry, "Wedding stuff. Hair, makeup, the things women live for you know."

"Oh Laurette will just love that," said Erik sarcastically. At least she was suffering as much as he was.

Suddenly the dining room door burst open and the rest of the men from last night poured in. Paul immediately went to the other side of Erik but glared at Justine before he sat down. "What the hell did you give us last night?" he growled as he held his own head.

"I do not know what you are talking about," laughed Justine. "Look, Andre is fine," he said. Andre looked nervously at Erik and wisely sat down without a word.

"Yes, well the rest of us are not," muttered Maurice. "Oh thank God…coffee," he said as he sat down at the table.

Armond was not doing much better as he simply laid his head down on the table. A few of the other men were just slowly sitting down as if their lives depended on it. Erik shook his head again. This would be a day to remember…for all the wrong reasons. He could not wait to get this ordeal over with and be alone with Laurette.

Once finished with breakfast, Erik excused himself from the group and sat in the sitting room outside the bedroom. His head still felt as if were going to roll off his shoulders any moment.

"Take this, it will help," said Paul who had entered the room. He handed Erik two small tablets. "God knows, I took three myself."

Erik accepted the pills and swallowed them with the coffee Paul provided. Charles had now arrived and began to assist both of them in dressing for the wedding. The event would take place in the early afternoon and to Erik's dismay he realized it was already late morning. He cursed Justine again.

Finally dressed in his groom's attire, Erik emerged into the library where the other men were also now dressed in their finest. Seeing Justine smiling at him, Erik turned and walked out to the balcony to get some air. At least his head felt better…

"Um Maestro…why don't you come back inside," said Justine who was suddenly next to him.

"I am fine where I am," replied Erik flatly as he looked out into the city. A carriage was pulling up to the opera house.

"Err…but I think you should come inside."

"Yes, I think my Uncle wants to see you," chimed in Andre who had now joined them.

Erik glanced into the room and saw Paul engrossed in a conversation with Armond. "I will in a moment."

"Well I am sure he said it was urgent," persisted Justine.

"Justine, you did not even know Paul wanted to speak with me," said Erik who was beginning to think about shoving him over the balcony to the streets below. Maybe the carriage would run over him…followed by another carriage…with six horses. Damn…it was stopping in front of the opera house. Maybe he could at least get Justine to land in front of one of the horses that would still try to give him a few good kicks…as the carriage stopped right on top of him.

Erik sighed in his thoughts and looked over the balcony. The carriage door opened and Erik saw Julia getting out followed by Chantel. "Oh it looks as if the women have returned," said Maurice who came up to them.

"Then Laurette must be with them," said Erik as he stepped forward. But Andre and Justine suddenly rushed to block his view.

"Now Maestro – you should not look for her," said Justine.

"You will see her later of course," replied Andre now also directly in front of him.

Erik was losing his patience and was about to shove them aside when he heard Paul. "Oh give them this silly tradition Erik. I am certain Julia made it quite clear to Justine that you are not to see the bride before the event."

Justine grinned. "Well…yes, she can be persuasive. Her kisses are most-,"

"Enough Justine," interrupted Paul.

Erik's stomach turned and he frowned at the thought of Julia and Justine kissing. He wanted badly to see Laurette at the moment. But he gave up and turned back to go inside.

Paul laughed. "It is alright to stay outside, let's just turn this way to look over here so we can amuse Justine and Andre."

"This is ridiculous," muttered Erik. "I have already been with her."

Paul patted him on the back. "It is tradition. It is said to be bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the wedding."

"And you think I am worried about bad luck?" laughed Erik. "Who is it that you are talking to that has already had a life of great fortune?"

Paul laughed in return. "Well you do not want anything to interrupt your good fortune now. I am going to go look for Mary and see how things are going. Excuse me."

Seeing that Paul was leaving Erik unguarded, Justine came up to him. "So are you going back inside?"

"I am sure they are already inside the Opera House Justine," said Erik annoyed.

"Well we cannot take any chances can we?"

"I will be there in a moment Justine," replied Erik gritting his teeth. He turned away and stared back out into the city. He thought about Paul's words and closed his eyes. Laurette was his good fortune. He suddenly had a determined feeling to enjoy this day. After all, with a real priest they would truly be married before God…if there was such a thing.

Turning, he followed behind Justine and Andre who were walking slowly and lingering to make sure the bride was no where in sight. But with their backs turned, they did not see him following.

"What do you think she would be like?"

"I am hardly the one to fantasize about her Justine."

Justine laughed. "Well I have little doubt she shows the same amount of passion in the bedroom just as she does in directing."

Erik actually growled.

"He is behind us isn't he?" asked Justine.

"Yes," said Erik.

Justine turned to face him. "And err, did you hear what I said?"

"Every word," said Erik with his jaw clenched.

"Well….is she?"

Andre shoved Justine hard into the library before Erik could react.

"Come on Erik," said Paul appearing again, "Let us start to head out to the ballroom. It will get your mind off of these idiots."

Erik nodded. Then he realized he was suddenly nervous again. Ridiculous! Laurette was already his. They were just doing all of this to please the company. But he realized Laurette could have easily stopped all of this. Maybe she wanted a wedding. Then another thought popped into his head. No one had ever seen them intimate. Now he was going to stand before everyone and say vows. And then to top it off they would kiss! This crossed every professional boundary he knew. The thought of Justine smirking was just too much to endure.

"Are you alright?" asked Paul as they walked slowly down the hall.

"Yes," lied Erik.

"You are not nervous are you?"

"Why would I be nervous?"

"Well it is common for most grooms."

"I love Laurette, there is no question of that."

Paul laughed. "Yes but love has nothing to do with getting up in front of a group of people. It is natural to be nervous even if you love her."

"This is ridiculous," muttered Erik as he finally reached the ballroom. He heard voices talking from behind and realized the men were following. When they opened the ballroom doors Erik was stunned. Charles had managed to get much of the renovation done in a short amount of time. The natural beauty of the room was restored and although there were some areas that still needed work, it was breathtaking. He saw that the musicians had set up to the side of the chandelier indicating where the dance floor would be. And then he saw the smiling faces of the Company before him.

Erik swallowed hard as Paul gripped his shoulder reassuringly. They moved through the crowd that remained standing and approached a man who he realized was a priest.

"Thank you for being here, Father," said Paul shaking the man's hand.

"Of course," the priest replied. He looked at Erik and smiled. "This is a time to celebrate a new beginning with this union."

Erik winced a bit as he knew the priest had to be referring to his gruesome past as Paul had more than likely revealed his identity. "Yes," said Erik quietly though he was uncertain if he would be able to completely start anew. While he did not intentionally want to kill anyone again, the thought of any threat against Laurette could not assure his conviction.

"And I believe that time is now," said the priest motioning behind Erik.

There was a sudden hush that Erik now realized had fallen over the crowd. When he turned around nothing could prepare him for what he saw from the doorway.

It was Laurette.

She wore the most beautiful wedding gown he had ever seen. It was cream in what Erik realized was complete silk. The sleeves were off the shoulders showing off her beautiful neck and satin skin. It fit her figure perfectly, modeled similarly with the red dress he saw her in on that night when he first realized just how beautiful she was. The bodice was detailed with exquisite lace flowing out to a full skirt in which he saw was complete with beautiful small pink roses that matched the same ones in her hair as it elegantly flowed freely down her shoulders.

She walked forward quietly among the crowd to a speechless Erik. The Company gathered around and before he knew it, Erik was looking at Laurette and she was repeating the vows after the priest. When his turn came, Erik found it very difficult to get through the words without straining his voice. He wanted to weep as he could not believe this was truly happening.

"You may now kiss your bride."

Erik heard the words and hesitated for just a moment. He swore he could feel Justine's smirk. But when he looked into Laurette's expectant eyes, Erik completely forgot about the crowd of people watching. All he could see were those blue eyes full of love. He reached down and gave her a passionate kiss.

Only then did he realize the company was crying out with delight and applauding. He quickly regained his composure and linked Laurette's hand around his arm. Already there were people congratulating them and they continued to close in until a voice finally broke through the noise.

"Alright now, everyone to their seats! Come on, we need to bring out the gifts!" shouted Gautier over the noise.

Erik and Laurette were led to a nearby group of chairs. Sitting in the first row, the Company eagerly joined them as the musicians took their seats near the dance floor. Joseph smiled at them and bowed.

"For your first wedding gift, my musicians would like to present an extraordinary work of art to you. We are delighted to play First Symphony by Brahms." He tapped his baton and the song was underway. It was amazing and Erik was delighted as Laurette squeezed his arm.

Once finished and the applause finally died down, Justine began to approach but Maurice stepped in front of him. "If-if you will excuse me for just a moment Justine. My brother would like to present a gift."

Erik smiled as he saw Philippe motioning with his hands and Maurice retrieved an easel with a covered painting upon it. As he brought it forth, Philippe was motioning once again but furiously at his brother. "Yes, yes," muttered Maurice. "I will be careful, now here," he said putting it down in the middle of the dance floor in front of Erik and Laurette. Philippe glanced at them nervously, then took a breath and unveiled the portrait.

There were murmurs of wonder at what everyone saw and to Erik's surprise, Laurette actually stood with an expression of almost shock. There in front of them was a portrait of Erik and Laurette in the dressing room. He was slightly behind her, presenting Laurette with an array of colorful flowers while she leaned back into him intimately from her dressing room chair.

"That night," Laurette whispered. And it was then Erik remembered that Philippe had seen this image one night long ago when their relationship had been secret before one of her performances. The detail was amazing. Erik stared at the portrait as he looked like an exact mirror image of them. He stood up slowly as Laurette left his side and approached Philippe.

At first Philippe had a very worried look on his face, as if he suddenly thought that he had made a mistake in painting such a portrait. But then Laurette stood before him.

"Thank you."

And then to everyone's amazement and Phillip's shock, Laurette bent down and kissed him firmly on the cheek. Erik almost laughed at his reaction. Philippe's face turned crimson and he backed away. But he then shyly looked at Laurette. He flashed a brilliant smile and then ran with Maurice quickly following after him.

The Company laughed with delight as a beaming Laurette returned to Erik. Then the next song began in which most of the company performed. The dancing was brilliant and their voices were so uplifting that Erik smiled. They were truly a fine Company now and he was proud of their success. With Laurette and Erik applauding, the Company took their bows at the end of the song.

Once they settled in their seats, Justine once more emerged and took the center of the dance floor. "It is well known that we have two brilliant and talented teachers before us. Their talent has been clearly demonstrated in not only the Company's performance, but of their patience in bringing forth the beautiful voices we have today."

"You were lucky he did not kill you," shouted out Andre. Everyone laughed and Justine grinned.

"Oh but my true teacher has always been Madame," he said smirking. "And only the Maestro is responsible for bringing back what even now I must concede is one of the beautiful voices of our time."

Whispers began as Christine suddenly appeared. When she stood before them, the Company began to applaud until it became a standing ovation. Christine blushed in reaction but did not move and continued to look right at Erik. Justine rose up his hands and the Company quieted.

"Tonight it will be the students who will give the gift of song to their teachers. Each of us will present a song of our choice in hopes that we can please as well as thank our mentor, our guide, and our true inspiration in music." Justine stepped aside and Christine came slightly forward. Joseph raised his baton and the music began.

Erik closed his eyes.

She sang beautifully and it made him tremble. He would never be able to get such a voice out of his mind. Erik was now in the happiest moment of his life. As he sat next to his beautiful bride that had his heart, Erik inhaled deeply as Christine's voice hit his soul. The sound of her voice at his wedding was exquisite.

The thunderous sound of applause shook the room once she was finished. Christine bowed elegantly and came before Erik. He stood up and embraced her, whispering a 'thank you' to her.

But nothing could prepare Erik for the next song. To his surprise, Justine was actually quite nervous and was barely looking at Laurette. His voice began very softly, to the point that Erik had to lean forward slightly to listen. But as the music grew louder with Joseph's guidance, Justine's voice became stronger and more confident. Amazingly, Justine was singing a song in Italian. There was no doubt in Erik's mind that it took months for Justine to master the lyrics and accent in this song.

And he was stunned.

Justine's voice was now fully mature and the most amazing male voice he had ever heard. The tone was rich and full as it seemed to float through the air. The last few lyrics were so powerful that Erik swore he could almost feel the room vibrate. His performance was simply outstanding.

A tearful Laurette embraced Justine who kissed her on the cheek. He held her hands for a moment looking at her and Erik heard him confess his total appreciation in all that she had done for him. He glanced at Erik who nodded in approval. Justine returned to the dance floor.

"And now, there is another gift of song. But this is an introduction that I cannot make. Maestro?"

Shocked, Laurette looked at Erik who did not look at her in return. He stood and walked to the dance floor. His heart was pounding but he did not care. Erik owed this in return to Laurette.

"One evening not so long ago, your director sang a song on stage. I am certain some of you remember that it was a song created by her." He smiled suddenly. "A song that she kept secret from me until the moment of the performance."

The company chuckled and Laurette blushed.

"So in return, I have decided to present her with a song this day. However…," Erik tilted his head looking at her. "I cannot perform this song until she stands right here," he said softly as he motioned next to him.

Laurette was smiling and the Company applauded in encouragement so that she finally stood and approached him. Once beside Erik, he looked at Joseph and nodded. The song was slow and melodic. He placed his nerves aside and began to sing.

And then they were the only two in the room.

He remembered the night she sang to him. The night he spoke of music as seduction. His voice flowed out of him full of love with sensuality. He stood behind her and held her during parts of the song as well as turned her to face him so he could touch her lips. He sang his full heart and soul to her.

Erik almost jumped when he suddenly realized the entire Company was on its feet and applauding. The song had ended and while he was wishing they were alone, Erik was almost relieved now that it was over. The Company continued to applaud in their standing ovation as they were obviously very impressed. Laurette was trying to hold back tears. Erik looked at Joseph who once more had his musicians begin to play. Erik held out his hand which Laurette took with a smile upon her face and they began to dance. Paul and Mary joined them, then Raoul and Christine, followed by Justine and Julia until the dance floor was full. Erik looked down at Laurette and laughed with happiness. He pulled her closer and they continued to dance into the night.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Erik watched as Laurette smiled when the carriage approached the Opera Populaire. Both of them had been gone for a week and while the time away had simply been glorious, it was still good to be home. Erik himself smiled as he knew the first thing to do was invite Paul and Maria over for dinner once more. The cottage had been a perfect gift. In total seclusion, the small quaint house in the country offered them a chance to be completely alone. Paul had even sent out his servants before they arrived to stock the kitchen full of delicacies and had the entire house lit with candles. And it was that first night that Erik realized just how much Laurette loved him.

After he waited for what seemed like an eternity in the bedroom, she had emerged from the bath wearing a beautiful satin night dress. And while she allowed his eager fingers to slip it down her shoulders, she stopped him from kissing her when he lowered her to the bed. Instead she reached for the ties of his mask and he pulled back as fear raced through him. She had seen his face, he knew it was fine. But the years of isolation and pain that it caused could not be forgotten even for the one that accepted him.

"Just tonight," Laurette whispered to him. "I want nothing between us." She allowed him to extinguish a few candles near the bed to allow more darkness for his comfort. And then he took off the mask and made love to her, trying not to weep as she kissed all of his face. She had held him in her arms afterwards and when he reached for his mask on the nightstand, she stopped his hand with hers. "Just tonight," she whispered once more. And so he allowed himself to be fully with her that first night as husband and wife. Although he wore the mask the rest of the week, it was a night he would never forget.

The carriage door opened and Erik took a graceful leap out onto the street. It was early evening but dark enough that no one would see them. He lifted Laurette down and she hugged him tightly. Charles was already there, dutifully retrieving their bags with the driver. They made their way to the bedroom suite. Erik knew Laurette was tired from the journey and wanted her to sleep.

"You may leave the bags until tomorrow," Erik said to Charles as he knew the butler intended to begin unpacking.

"Of course sir. Will there be anything else?"

"Yes," said Laurette with a smile. "Would you please hang our new portrait over the fireplace in here?"

"Laurette, it is late," Erik scolded.

"It is _not_ late," she replied evenly, "It is still early evening and you know it! I want to see our wedding gift from Phillipe again."

Erik sighed and looked at Charles in defeat. Normally Maria would have smiled, perhaps even given a small laugh, but Charles had a face of pure professionalism. He neither smiled nor frowned, but simply bowed and went to retrieve the portrait.

"Does he have a personality?" asked Laurette.

"Well, if he is said to be one of the top servants," said Erik in return. "I am sure it is not proper to have a personality as a servant like anything else." He looked at her and smiled. "We will have to work on changing that."

She laughed but stepped closer to Erik as Charles returned to the room. He carefully hung the portrait and waited for Laurette's approval to which she nodded. "Is it not beautiful?" she asked squeezing Erik's arm.

Erik studied the portrait. Phillipe had made it so life like that he had remembered every detail. "He certainly paid attention to all of your features," murmured Erik eyeing the neckline on the dress in the painting.

"Oh stop," she said laughing.

"Will that be all Madame?"

Laurette's smile disappeared. "Um, yes, thank you Charles."

"Of course Madame. Monsieur?"

"I am fine, thank you. You may retire for the evening," instructed Erik.

"Thank you sir."

"He is too proper," complained Laurette after Charles had left. "I simply cannot see how he is married to Maria. She is the total opposite of him."

Erik began to untie Laurette's dress in an effort to get her ready for bed. "Well it is not like they ever see each other. Justine said they only saw each other once a week."

"Well…there is just something off about him."

"Off?" echoed Erik as he lifted the gown over her head.

"He is just so…distant."

"Exactly what a proper servant should be," replied Erik. "Now enough Laurette. It is time for you to rest." She sighed but gave in and crawled into bed. He soon joined her and they slept peacefully back in their true home at the Opera House.

By the next morning they were both relaxing while eating breakfast. Erik was pleased as they had already decided not to hold rehearsal this week. With the wedding and travel, he knew it was best for Laurette's health. Now no longer having the pressure of Monsieur Garier's deadlines, Erik knew she was delighted that for once she could take her time in developing the performances for their debut in the Fall.

"More eggs?" prompted Maria now in front of him.

"No, thank you," replied Erik.

"Are you certain? It appears as if you lost some weight Monsieur. I could fix you something else if you'd like."

Erik gave a slight laugh. "No…,"

"I know you like those cream filled pastries. I could make some for you. It would only take a few moments."

Erik was about to smile and tease Maria for being too motherly when Charles cleared his throat. Maria looked up at her husband who was giving her a look of disapproval and she backed away immediately. Laurette gave Erik an uneasy look as Charles approached.

"Doctor Charette and his wife are here Sir," said Charles.

"Sooner than I expected," replied Erik. "Please, show them in."

Within a few moments Paul was patting Erik on the shoulder while they shook hands. Mary of course was embracing Laurette but then beamed at Erik. "We have the most wonderful news!" she exclaimed.

"Oh really?" asked Erik pleasantly as they took their seats around the table. "Has so much changed in the one week we were absent?"

"Andre is getting married!" blurted out Mary as she clasped her hands together with obvious joy.

"Really?" asked Erik quite surprised. "And just who is he marrying?"

"Her name is Monique Bovie," went on Mary excitedly. "She is perfect for him!"

"We will never hear the end of this," murmured Paul to Erik shaking his head.

"Where did he meet her?" asked Laurette.

"Oh it is a positively wonderful story!"

"Oh good God," muttered Paul as Erik smiled.

"Is she related to the Madame Bovie that Monsieur Garier had seen at one time?" asked Laurette.

Mary wrinkled her nose. "No, thank goodness. This girl is a long lost distant family member of Leroy Bovie!"

"Oh," said Laurette when this name meant nothing to Erik. "I understood it was thought that all his bloodlines had died."

"Leroy Bovie was a wealthy man known years ago for his generosity," explained Paul to Erik. "Tragically a fire swept through his home killing him and the rest of his family. Some say to this day it was conspiracy against the family for supporting some of the political activists, but to this day no one knows the cause of the fire."

"Monique is the daughter of Leroy's half sister," said Mary with a smile.

"Leroy's father remarried after his first wife died," Paul interjected.

"I see," said Erik shaking his head with amusement.

Mary leaned over toward Laurette. "It was thought that Monique was in the house the night of the fire but her remains were never found so no one knew for sure. Well, suddenly she surfaced last month and I convinced Andre to go with me to meet her at a social gathering. He of course did not want to go but I of course insisted that he-,"

"So to make a long story short," interrupted Paul, "Andre could not help himself and fell for the girl. Now will you please pass some eggs?"

"Oh how _romantic_ you are," said Mary giving her husband a look of irritation.

Erik laughed. "Andre did not say a word to us."

"Well he just proposed last night," continued Mary. "He insisted that we keep his courtship of the girl quiet as he did not want to overshadow your wedding."

"Now you can see what my life really has been like these past few weeks around my wife," said Paul. "Oh, thank you," he said as Charles had come forward to serve him some eggs. "Are you Charles Rolland?"

Charles straightened in response. "Yes Monsieur."

"Well what an honor it is to see you again. I did not know you were serving in this household."

"Charles actually helped us get dressed for the wedding if you recall," said Erik.

"Really? Good God it is a miracle I managed to get through the morning after Justine poisoned us the evening before."

"Poisoned?" asked Laurette with a worried look.

Erik waved his hand his hand at her. "I will explain later." He turned back to Paul. "Charles is the husband of Maria."

"Well good gracious, I had no idea. May I say that your wife is the most wonderful cook. And she has done a superb job in taking care of Laurette and Erik."

"Thank you Monsieur."

"This is a superior servant Erik. I am more than certain that all of those in society wish to know why Charles is serving for Madame Duprey."

"Well it will only help her publicity strategies," replied Mary dryly.

Paul picked up on his wife's tone of irritation immediately. "Speaking of publicity, I have an idea. We need to have an engagement party for Andre."

Mary's eyes warmed. "Oh Paul really?"

"Why of course," he replied. "And where else perfect to do so but at the Opera Populaire?"

"Oh that would be magnificent," Mary cried. "We can invite so many including all of the Company."

Laurette smiled. "Well you certainly have my permission."

"_Our_ permission," corrected Erik. "You are more than welcome and I am certain the Company will be very pleased. They certainly seem to enjoy social gatherings now without Monsieur Garier."

"Thank you!" exclaimed Mary. "Hurry up and finish Paul. We must tell Andre the wonderful news."

"I think he can wait," Paul answered dryly. But Erik watched as the doctor quickly ate his meal and took their leave.

The week went by almost too quickly although Erik was pleased to actually return to the routine of rehearsals. The time he spent alone with Laurette was driving him crazy as he continuously watched her, still amazed at how he was now married. But his thoughts usually turned from thinking how pretty she was to how much he physically wanted her. It seemed she had more of a break from him at least when rehearsals were being held as he was forced to be professional in front of the Company. But Laurette never refused him and seemed to be just as happy.

The Company's first debut with Laurette as the new Opera House owner was soon upon them. But to Erik's dismay, opening night was not going well. It was almost a half hour before curtain time and Laurette was no where in sight. He paced the bedroom almost like a caged animal, irritated that he could not go and find her. Laurette had made an arrangement with the press for some open interviews and the backstage area was not secure with reporters roaming around. He knew she was easing the Company's nerves and answering all their usual questions. But she wasn't even dressed properly yet! While she most likely would refused to be interviewed or photographed, that did not mean others would begin to enter the Opera House only to find her in a plain dress on Opening Night.

Finally the bedroom door opened and Laurette hurried inside while already taking off her dress. She had a rather cross look on her face but Erik was just as irritated and could not help himself.

"_Where have you been?_" he asked gruffly as he practically yanked the plain looking gown over her head and tossed it aside. _Oh good God_, she didn't even have her formal corset or crinoline on yet. As she began to put on the corset, he quickly took over and began to tighten the ties.

"_Well?_" he asked again. "I thought you were going to miss your own Opening Night. _Our_ opening night actually as I am also an owner as well you know."

"Justine has a new lover."

"Oh?" Erik asked trying to hide the glee in his voice. "I was not aware he had broken off his relationship with Julia."

"Neither was she."

Erik stopped tying the corset for a moment as he frowned. "I see."

"Yes, well so did the whole Company for that matter. I was trying to find a particular prop for the first set but when I opened up a closet door, Justine and a woman practically fell onto the floor. Both were obviously taking full advantage of the secluded room as she practically had only half her dress on! I cannot believe – _Erik, I do need to breathe!_"

He suddenly realized he was pulling on the ties of the corset tightly in his anger while he was listening to her. "Sorry," he muttered as he loosened the ties. He finished, helped her into the crinoline and her custom made dress. He would normally be staring at her in awe but with the clock ticking away and his irritation now at Justine, he had no time.

"Thank you," said Laurette smoothing out the dress. She reached up and quickly kissed him. "I have to hurry and meet the press," she said as she began to move toward the door.

"Why do you need to meet with them now?" he asked thinking she was sure to talk with them after the show.

"Because," Laurette said with a sigh, "When I opened the closet door and Justine fell out, the press was of course backstage."

Erik shook his head in disgust.

"If you really want to help, the backstage area should be secure by now. Will you please try to calm down the Company?"

He nodded and then she was gone.

Erik himself sighed and made his way down the secret corridors to the backstage. Indeed, the Company was running around in every direction in their usual panic before a new show. He stepped in and was soon surrounded by them. But in the middle of correcting some minor changes to the score with Joseph, Erik saw Andre approach with a worried face.

"We cannot get Julia to come out of her dressing room. She has locked herself in and we can hear her crying."

Erik closed his eyes for a moment letting out a deep breath. "Where is Laurette?"

"She is still with the press."

"Of course," muttered Erik. Wonderful. He got to be the one to try and stop Julia's tears. Erik's only thought was that she should be jumping up and down for joy that Justine had finally moved on to someone else. But he knew of course she did not see it in such a way. Julia was by far too innocent. Or at least, he hoped she still was after having a relationship with Justine.

Cursing under his breath, Erik withdrew from Joseph and walked further backstage to the dressing room area. Approaching Julia's room he saw Melanie and Armond outside her door.

"Julia, let us in. We just want to talk," pleaded Melanie. Armond looked up at Erik and shook his head.

Erik muttered another curse to himself and changed his direction to use a secret passageway to get inside Julia's dressing room. As he approached the secret mirror he saw her dressed in her stage costume but on the floor next to her dressing table weeping. Still extremely agitated at the situation, Erik tapped on the mirror and walked right into the room.

"He is not the only man in this world you know," he said in a low voice. God, Justine did not deserve to have her even crying for him. She was worth so much more than he would ever realize.

Julia jumped at the sound of his voice but upon seeing it was him, she bowed her head. "I…I feel like such a fool Maestro!" She wiped away a few tears trying to hide her face from him.

Erik's heart softened a bit as he realized she was not only hurt but angry at herself as well. He put his anger at Justine aside and walked over to her. Crouching down beside her, he reached out and turned her face to him. "Not only did Justine lose a worthy, talented woman, he also chose to make it known in front of the entire Company. Now I ask you, who is the fool?"

Julia smiled slightly through her tears. "I did not think of it that way."

Erik sighed. "Julia, tell me why you joined the Company."

She looked surprised at him. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Because it is well known that you do not wish to become any opera diva. You have always indicated that you would marry and have a family."

Julia looked down at her hands. "Well…yes. I still want that."

"Then why are you even here? It sounds as if you father is able to match you with other men yet you still remain here. Tell me why."

"Well…I just…I guess it is because I love the stage. Having a family is my dream, but it is only a part of my dream. I just wanted to be a part of something before I settled down. I love the world of the arts and you have taught me so much. I suppose I now find a sense of pride in what I do here."

Erik nodded. "Then I will ask you another question. Are you going to let Justine stand in your way with part of your dream or are you going to get out there and perform as the talented soprano that you are?"

She looked up at him and took a breath as she straightened her shoulders. "I am going to perform."

Erik nodded again and touched her cheek. "Good girl. Now let's get you up off the floor. Everyone is waiting for you including me. And I want to hear you sing."

She nodded and took the hand he offered as he stood. He then helped her smooth out her costume dress and led her to the door. Unlocking it, she emerged to a concerned Melanie who jumped up and hugged her.

"Thank you Maestro," said Armond quietly as the two girls headed toward the stage. Armond followed after them and Erik turned to go back to the secret passageway so he could make it up to his box to watch the performance. But before he did, he heard a commotion further away. Glancing down the hall lined with dressing rooms, Erik caught a shadow and began to walk toward it.

"_I told you not to come here_," hissed a voice that Erik suddenly realized was Justine.

As Erik came closer he saw Justine shove a woman into one of the dressing rooms with him following behind her. Erik frowned and he felt his anger rise up within himself once again. He briskly walked to the dressing room and opened the door.

"I do not see why you are so upset," complained a young dark haired beauty touching Justine's face.

"You do not understand," snapped Justine. Hearing the dressing room door open he quickly glanced up shocked to find Erik standing before them.

"_Who is that?_" asked the woman.

Justine's face tightened. "Get out," he told the woman without looking at her.

"I beg your pardon. I-,"

"_I said get out!_" ordered Justine now looking at her in anger. The woman backed away and she hurried toward the door only to cringe as she looked up and saw Erik. But his narrowed eyes never left Justine's face as the woman hurried away.

"Maestro," said Justine, "It was not my fault. It was -,"

Erik moved so quickly that Justine had no time to react. His fingers tightened around Justine's neck and he raised him up off the floor against the wall. Justine gasped, trying frantically to take Erik's hands off his throat.

Erik loomed dangerously close to Justine. Only inches away from his face, Erik watched as Justine's eyes turned to terror. "I _do not_ care Justine," he said in a dark soft voice. "You will never touch another woman within this Company or you will not be _in_ the Company. Is that understood?"

As he could not speak, Justine gave a slight nod and Erik released him. Justine coughed and clutched his throat trying to gasp for air. "Good," said Erik with great satisfaction of the pain he had inflicted upon Justine. "Now you will make amends with Julia," he said firmly as he walked toward the door.

"What?" gasped Justine. "She will not even talk with me now!"

"Yes, perhaps she is more intelligent than you thought," said Erik slightly turning back to face him. "But earn her respect at least on a professional basis and you earn the respect back with the Company." He left Justine standing in disbelief.

By the time Erik reached his box, the performance was already underway. Julia astonished everyone by her powerful singing. When Justine joined her onstage she showed no hint of any personal issue with him. Justine however, was not his normal perfection. More than a few times he stumbled through a few of the songs, his mind clearly not focused. Still, the show overall went well and the Company received their usual standing ovation.

Tired from an emotional night, Erik sought Laurette only to find that she was busy with reporters. As there was no formal event scheduled after the show, many of the Company had begun to leave. It was getting late and Erik hoped Laurette would be finished soon. As he walked back to their suite, he passed through the library only to find Justine staring out a window into the night.

"I am surprised you are still here," said Erik trying to control his bitter tone. He would have thought Justine who was now free from Julia would be out on the town courting all the women he could.

Justine did not move and only slightly turned to glance at him. "I tried to talk with Julia. She refused to even acknowledge me."

"Wise of her," replied Erik and walked over to his writing desk to begin reviewing some of the music he had written a few days ago.

"I just…how is it…" Frustrated, Justine shut his mouth and looked back out into the night.

Erik clenched his jaw. Justine was clearly not going to leave just yet and wanted to…talk. A knot tightened in his stomach. He had absolutely no concern for Justine and it took every ounce of his willpower not to throw him out of the room. But Erik could see Justine standing with a dejected look on his face as he looked out the window. Worse, there were faint smudges from Erik's fingerprints left on his throat. Erik shook his head, unsure of why he would even let such a thing get to him.

"What Justine?" finally snapped Erik.

Justine's shoulders tightened and then he turned back around to face him. "I do not understand how one man can stay with one woman all his life."

Erik's eyes narrowed as he studied the music before him and he gave a sigh. "It is called _love_."

"I've loved."

Erik could not help himself and scoffed. "Oh, yes, _right_," he said sarcastically.

"Well…it's just that…I get so bored. And well, Julia is not, well, a mature woman. A man needs more than just kisses."

Erik almost crumpled the sheet in his hand. "You knew this about her when you began the relationship."

"Well, yes but I admit that I thought she would…err, give in."

"Good thing she did not," replied Erik secretly pleased that Julia's innocence remained in place. That would be reserved for a more worthy male…like Andre. But since he was now taken, maybe Erik this time would seek a suitable match for Julia before her or her father could.

Justine walked closer to Erik who responded by tensing even further. "Well how long can a man wait for something like that? I mean, really, no man can go that long without being intimate."

Erik turned and glared at him.

Justine got the point. "Oh, well, right. But then you see my point. I mean look what a lack of intimacy did to you." Erik ignored his urge to pin Justine against the wall once more and instead briskly walked by him to the other side of the room, roughly pushing past him.

Justine's voice became quiet. "You may think of me as brash or arrogant. Maybe even insensitive…,"

"_Maybe?_" asked Erik putting aside the music and looking at Justine. "There is no doubt of that Justine."

"Fine then. The truth is that I hate myself. I can stand here and tell you that the other woman you saw came after me, seduced me. But I think you would hardly believe me."

"It is amazing how well you have guessed my thoughts."

"The truth is that I could never please Julia in the end…because, I can never be pleased myself. Music is the only thing that can please me. I can sing the same song a million times and never grow tired of it. But after being with one woman for even a few weeks I find myself tired of her."

"Well how nice of you to save Julia the pain," replied Erik dryly.

Justine hung his head. "I did not mean to hurt her. I wanted her to be…angry."

"Why?" Erik asked before he could stop himself.

"Because she needed to see me for who I am…and I am not worthy of her. Even I admit that."

Erik could not believe his ears. But the look on Justine's face appeared to be sincere and he stood looking quite alone. "I am sure you have other things more important in life right now, especially before you choose to settle down one day," he said softly.

"Yes…I-I have been meaning to talk to you and Madame Duprey. I have been offered a position at another Opera House." He looked nervously at Erik. "I would finish out the season; I would never let either of you down. But I think…I think I need this. It seems after tonight that I have realized my career is what matters most."

"Are you certain?"

Justine hesitated. "Yes."

Erik nodded slowly. "Then you must do what you feel is right."

"You are not angry? Oh, wait, of course not. I am sure you are grateful to finally be rid of me," said Justine rubbing his neck.

Erik gritted his teeth. "No Justine. I do not wish to see you leave. You are talented and brought life to this Company. Even I cannot deny that. But I also think it is time for you to find…something else."

Justine suddenly laughed. "Well I am certain to taste the many pleasures in another city."

Erik tilted his head with a frown. "That is not what I meant."

"Of course not. You never talk of women."

Erik found a terrible tightening of his gut and he realized something in this conversation that Justine did not. But he would not fully admit it in front of him. "You may be surprised. What I mean is that you must find meaning beyond the music."

"What do you mean? As in one woman?"

"That is for you to discover."

Justine thought for a moment. "You know, there has been always one woman that could have easily captured my heart. But I just…could not get up the nerve."

"You mean Laurette?" asked Erik deliberately using her first name.

Justine's reaction was shock. "Well…I…you-you knew?"

Erik turned his attention back to the music sheets still in his hands. He should be boiling with anger but he was not. Perhaps because he knew now that Laurette did not view Justine in the same way although she still loved him.

Much like the way Erik felt now about Christine.

He sighed and slowly turned his eyes back to Justine. "All the cast do very well in their acting ability on stage. However when she was on stage with you, it was never acting."

Justine's face actually turned a bit red. "Do…do you think that she ever knew?"

"No," replied Erik although he was not certain of this answer. But no need for Justine to know that. Hell, he could have used the opportunity to embarrass Justine further but for some reason he found himself sympathetic. _Damn it._ What was wrong with him?

Justine shifted in his place. "Good," he said with a sigh of relief. "I am surprised you don't have me up against the wall again by now."

"I suggest you take your leave while you can."

Justine grinned. "Of course. I assume you will tell her about my leave though?"

"Yes."

"Well, I am more than willing to do it in person. I do not need you to tell her the news for me."

Erik held up his hand. "It will be fine. Good night Justine."

"Right." Justine bowed his head politely and left the room.

Laurette came in much later and although Erik had the urge to scold her, he simply followed her in the bedroom to help her undress.

"It went well despite the odds did it not?" she asked Erik.

"Yes," he said softly. He leaned forward from behind her looking at her reflection in front of the mirror. "Did I ever tell you how fortunate I am to have you as my wife?" he asked thinking of the situation with Justine and Julia.

"No, but you can tell me again," she said now leaning against him.

"Not in words," he murmured and began to kiss her neck.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"It is so good to see you again Erik!" exclaimed Christine as she gave him a warm hug. She and Raoul had stopped for a visit in which she had agreed to sing soprano for one of the shows. Erik and Laurette decided that it would in fact be great publicity for them. The audience would be gossiping for months with Laurette directing the very woman who had out sung her. Yet it was almost amusing to Erik that he and Raoul barely shook hands while Christine gave Laurette a very quick embrace. Some things did not change.

"We have some news," said Raoul with a smile as he sat down for tea in the library where Maria was serving them.

"We are the owners of the new Opera House that has been built!" said Christine excitedly.

"Really?" asked Erik. He had seen the reports of another theater being built far away but no one had said who the owner was. While the theater would provide some competition for the Opera Populaire, he and Laurette were not too concerned as it was still far enough away from Paris. And Paris always drew a crowd of tourists.

"Yes, I am afraid it is true," said Raoul. "I hope you are not offended. We did not want to take away from the publicity of the Opera Populaire just yet. And of course we will not announce it until Christine has sung at your next performance."

"I see," said Erik narrowing his eyes slightly at Raoul. "And yet when she has completed her performance, you will take advantage and make the announcement to gain even more publicity."

Christine gave a slight smile. "Well Erik, it is not as if we have not helped both of you in some way."

"You have helped a great deal," Erik agreed. "We can do no other than endorse your own Opera House."

"Thank you Erik. I was hoping you would feel this way," replied Christine. "And so perhaps you will let Laurette do a very public visit to assist us."

"Assist you?" asked Erik growing uneasy.

"Well yes," said Raoul. "We may be the new owners but we know nothing of selecting the right Company or director. She could help us a great deal."

"Including the publicity you would receive," Erik could not help mutter. He was happy for Christine but any further use of Laurette was questionable.

"And wait until you hear the acoustics!" said Christine to Laurette. "It is positively amazing! It is so incredible with how far designing a new Opera House has come. You can hear the voices from the stage so clearly. We do not have to worry near as much about where to specifically place the cast for certain parts during a song."

"Really?" asked Laurette now clearly interested.

"We could publicize your visit in assisting us with our selection of the Company," continued Raoul. "And then hold a concert style of artists to give an early preview. I'd ask you to sing but…," he hesitated as Erik glared at him. "I do not think that would be wise in regards to your health. We are more than content for you to visit and watch the performance…with Erik of course."

"It sounds exciting," said Laurette with her eyes shining. "Tell me about-,"

"Just how far of a journey is this Opera House?" interrupted Erik.

"Well it is in fact a little over a day journey by carriage," said Raoul.

"And you are worried about my wife _singing_? How can you expect her to travel so far with her health?" demanded Erik.

"Erik-," Laurette said.

"No Laurette," said Erik. "Doctor Charette would not approve."

"And when has that stopped me before?" retorted Laurette.

"It will not only be him this time. I forbid you to do this."

"You forbid me. _Forbid me?_" asked Laurette incredulously.

Christine and Raoul shifted uncomfortably. "Perhaps you can get back to us on your answer," said Raoul awkwardly.

Erik was seething. Raoul had no right to even give Laurette the impression that there would be such consideration. But he drew a calming breath as Christine gently reached out and placed her hand on top of his.

"It is alright Erik," she said quietly. "I am just happy to be back here. I feel that this is the only true Opera House I could ever love."

But as Laurette gave Erik a quick glare, he knew this argument was far from over. He sighed. "We will discuss this later. Why don't we gather in the theater for rehearsal?"

Christine nodded and Raoul walked her out the door towards the theater.

"You did not need to be like that," Laurette practically hissed at Erik.

"When it comes to your health I can behave however I choose."

"Oh honestly! You are so stubborn Erik!"

"Excuse me? _Who_ are we talking about?"

His question broke the tension and Laurette broke down and laughed. "Stop it. I am trying to be angry," she said trying to cover her smile with her hand.

Erik took her hand away from her face and kissed it. "You must admit that we both have very…strong minds. And you are such a talented woman."

"Now you are just trying to get out of the argument by flattery."

"Yes I am. Is it working?" he asked as he began to kiss the inside of her wrist.

"Obviously I am interrupting something," said Justine suddenly appearing in the doorway.

Erik pulled away from Laurette and frowned at him. "We are coming. Go on Justine." He smirked in reaction and left. With a sigh, Erik cradled Laurette's arm around his and together they walked to the theater.

But later in the week, Erik was greatly agitated that Laurette was still insistent on her demands to visit Raoul and Christine's new opera house. When the night of Christine's performance came, Erik was still sulking and excused himself from the ball afterwards. He could have easily attended as Monsieur Rosseau since the ball was once again a masquerade. But his spirits were dampened with the thought of Laurette placing too much strain on her. She tried to assure him, but he was still not being persuaded enough to give up his mood.

He was trying to relax and sit in the library reading. He wanted to wait up for Laurette and make sure she was put to bed immediately. But he was surprised when he found Maurice standing in the doorway.

"Um, Maestro. I-I am afraid the authorities are here."

A chill went through Erik and he had the urge to immediately vault from the room to his secret mirror. "What did you say?" he asked trying to keep himself calm.

"The authorities. Police. They want to speak with Monsieur Rosseau thinking he would be here tonight at the ball with Madame Duprey."

Erik shrank back in his chair. "What do they want?"

"I do not know but I do not think it has anything to do with something he…err…you did. I mean, they are not looking to arrest Monsieur Rosseau. They seem to want him as a witness."

How the hell could they want him as a witness when no one ever saw the man? Erik stood up. "And they think I am here."

"Well…yes. I tried to at least say that I did not know where you were but they would not believe me. They were threatening to go right into the ballroom which would not bring the type of publicity we need of course. Could you at least see what they want?"

Erik frowned. He certainly did not want them talking with Laurette. He left the room briefly and returned with a colored mask as to appear he was in fact attending the ball. Maurice led the way to a distant sitting room he had left them in. When Erik entered, he found two policemen that stood up from their chairs as soon as they saw him. And in between them was…_Charles_.

_What the Hell?_

"Monsieur Rosseau?" asked the policeman on the left.

Erik gave a simple nod.

"We are so very sorry to inconvenience you this evening. And we apologize that this matter could not wait."

Erik actually relaxed slightly. They were treating him as one of the upper class in which this was considered an insult for taking him away from such a public event.

"However, we needed to know. We…well…we understand that you are sometimes with Madame Duprey here at the Opera House." The policeman coughed slightly, trying to cover his directness. "That is to say, even late into the evening. Or…so we have heard."

Erik's eyes narrowed. He did not need Laurette's reputation ruined further. "She is my wife," he said suddenly before thinking.

Both of the men looked surprised. "Oh…yes, that would explain how you have said to be here. Although we had not heard of any such wedding."

"My affairs as you know are quite private," said Erik thinking quickly. "I am not one to be on a…social basis."

They nodded. "Yes of course Monsieur. We have heard that for years you have kept to yourself." The one officer then grinned. "Of course we completely understand how an intriguing woman such as Madame Duprey would change some of that."

Erik was annoyed but gave a slight nod. "Yes. Now, if you would please tell me the purpose of your visit?"

The two men straightened immediately. "Do you know this man?" one of them asked gesturing toward Charles in between them.

Erik looked at Charles who was staring at the floor. He was not even dressed in his usual butler attire. Something was very wrong. "Yes," said Erik quietly. "He serves with me and Madame Duprey of course."

They looked somewhat relieved in response. "And…he was with you last night?"

Puzzled, Erik narrowed his eyes slightly at Charles who continued to look at the floor. The truth was that he had no idea where Charles was the evening before. "Yes. In fact I had him perform a number of duties to get ready for the ball this evening."

"Yes, yes, that makes sense of course. Forgive us then Monsieur. We have the wrong man. Ah yes…," said the policeman as suddenly another uniformed man walked into the room. He was dragging a small woman with him who appeared to be dressed as a maid. Tears streaked her young face as she sobbed. "You may take her back to Monsieur Leduc now. This is not the man that helped her leave his household."

Erik was shocked but remained silent.

"Again, we are sorry for the confusion. Thank you Monsieur." The policemen bowed politely and left, pushing the girl out the door.

Charles remained silent in front of Erik.

"I do not suppose you would like to tell my why I just lied to the authorities," he said in a low voice.

There was no response.

"Very well," said Erik gruffly. "But let me make it very clear to you that if I find out you are hurting Maria in any way, I will show you the true feeling of pain." He turned and began to walk out of the room.

"The girl is pregnant," Charles suddenly blurted out.

Erik stopped and stiffened. He slowly turned back to Charles. "The child is yours?"

Charles recoiled immediately. "Oh no…Monsieur…I would never…please...no, you do not understand…but I am unable to…tell you everything. I was only trying to help the girl."

"She is not your lover then?"

"Oh God, no Monsieur," said Charles now with a look of panic.

"Then why?"

"I…it is difficult for me to say."

Erik thought for a moment. "Difficult because you are unable to speak of your prior master?" he asked.

"Y-yes. Monsieur Leduc was my former employer I am afraid."

"I see."

The silence stretched out between them for a few moments and then Erik drew a breath. "Charles, do you trust me?"

"Oh yes Monsieur."

"Even though you have not known me for long?"

Charles raised his head. "You have treated my wife with nothing more than kindness. That alone gives you my trust."

"Then you must tell me what is going on."

Charles hung his head but then spoke hard and fast. "Monsieur Leduc has a habit of hiring very young girls as servants. It is not uncommon for him to have them serve him in…a variety of ways even against their wishes."

"Are you saying he has raped innocent girls?"

"Y-yes, Monsieur. For years I told myself that it was my duty not to say anything. But I finally resigned when I could no longer…," Charles paused. "When I could no longer bear to see a young girl die because of him."

Erik narrowed his eyes. "He murders them?"

"When one of the girls he has taken is found to be with child, he has Doctor Fornier visit so that…an abortion can be performed. Some do not survive as a result of infection or excessive bleeding."

_Oh God_, thought Erik. "And the young woman you were with last night. She is one of the servants you were helping?"

"Y-yes. I promised her that I would come back for her before Doctor Fornier's visit."

Erik frowned. "And what did you plan to do next? Save each girl one by one? Why do I think there is more to this?"

Charles said nothing and bit his lip confirming Erik's thoughts.

"You no doubt know who I really am," said Erik calmly. "And just as you trust me, I am placing my faith in you to keep my identity quiet. But as a known murderer myself, I am not naïve enough to believe that you would just resign from Monsieur Leduc and leave it at that."

"He rides every Sunday evening…late…after dark. His colleagues for years tell him it is a dangerous habit as horses can…frighten easily."

Erik understood immediately. Charles would hide along the trail to cause some type of surprise in hopes that the horse would throw Monsieur Leduc. He studied Charles for a few more moments. "I will ensure that you have…an errand to run for me on Sunday evening."

Charles eyes widened in response but before he could say anything, Erik left the room.

The next morning Charles remained quieter than usual, not even scolding his wife if she fussed over Erik and Laurette. While Erik enjoyed the normalcy of Maria's attention, it made Laurette uneasy.

"He is oddly not bossing Maria around," said Laurette that evening as she scribbled notes on the music sheet in front of her. They were sitting in the library where they were sitting close together on a couch. A fire was blazing in front of them in the fireplace setting Erik at ease with the warmth in the room.

"There is nothing to be concerned about. Besides," he said suddenly thinking this was Sunday evening. "I gave him a few errands to do around town. He will not even be around this evening."

Laurette finally stopped asking questions about Charles and went back to discussing music with him. Erik was grateful that Maurice had kept his silence about the authorities. He had told Maurice it was better not to worry Laurette.

And then out of the corner of his eye, Erik saw Charles throwing on his coat and hurrying past the library down the hall. Erik sat trying to listen to Laurette as she chattered away about something he should be interested in. However his mind was on Charles. He cursed silently in his mind. Why the hell should he care anyway?

_Because he is Maria's husband you idiot and you do not want his lack of experience in murder to have him get caught._

Erik's thoughts were interrupted by banging on the door to the suite. Maria hurried to the door and he could hear some commotion. She came into the library with a worried look on her face.

"What is it?" asked Laurette.

"The authorities were looking for Monsieur Leduc, to see if he had visited here. Apparently one of his maids had tried to sneak out of his home the other night with someone. After strongly talking to the girl last night she admitted that someone might be out to strike against Monsieur Leduc."

Erik immediately stiffened. "Are they still here?"

"The authorities? Oh no, Monsieur. I sent them away letting them know that Madame was resting."

"Erik, where are you going?" asked Laurette as he suddenly stood up.

"I need some fresh air. It is very hot in here with the fire."

"Oh Monsieur, I am so sorry. I know you are used to colder temperatures when you used to live…," Maria paused awkwardly.

"It is fine." He bent down and kissed Laurette. "I will not be long. Just a quick walk."

"Please be careful," said Laurette with concern.

He touched her cheek in reassurance and then quickly grabbed his cloak as he walked out of the suite and then left the Opera House. The night air was cool and crisp. Already dark, Erik easily slipped into the night without being seen. He caught up with the policeman to overhear their discussion.

"I hear he goes riding by the woods late at night. We should make our way to his normal trail just to see if everything is alright."

Erik followed them. When they came to the edge of town, it was eerily silent, the woods making sound only from the swaying trees in the wind. Thankfully the two men moved back towards town. He continued to listen as their voices were carried away to the distance.

And then Erik heard a set of hooves galloping quickly towards him in the darkness. But before the horse could reach him, a tree began to fall directly onto the path. In a panic, the horse reared up, throwing its rider. The tree landed with a crack and the horse cried out as the log rolled. The horse tried to instinctively jump over the tree but one of the loose reins had dropped onto the ground, now caught by the tree. As a result the horse's head was jerked back and it struggled to break free. Charles emerged from the woods, racing over to the fallen man while Erik silently moved just as fast.

"You!" gasped Monsieur Leduc who was now bleeding from his head. Charles, who most likely thought the man was dead, stopped in shock.

Erik quickly took his knife and cut one of the reins from the horse, which then immediately bolted. In a flash, Erik took the rein and strangled the neck of Monsieur Leduc, who thrashed his body in reaction. And then in one swift movement, Erik broke the man's neck.

"Oh…God," whispered Charles as he was kneeling beside them now. He looked at Erik with terrified eyes.

"I knew you would not have finished it," said Erik in a low tone as he stripped the rein away from Monsieur Leduc's neck. "It is not uncommon for a man who is thrown from his horse to be found with a broken neck." He stood up satisfied that the man was dead. He had thought of Julia for a moment and felt relieved that this man would never have his hands on her.

Charles stood up slowly. "I…I am in your debt Monsieur," he said with a shaking voice.

Erik nodded. "You owe me for this night." And then he disappeared into the darkness.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"I cannot believe we are here," muttered Erik as the carriage stopped. He peered out into the darkness to see an enormous mansion. The design was pretentious and horrid. "Leave it to the Count to ruin something that could have been so beautiful in architecture."

"Oh stop," said Laurette. "We are here to see the new Opera House, not his home."

"How would you be able to miss it?" Erik asked eying the mansion.

"It reminds me of a former home I served in," said Maria in her thick Spanish accent. She had insisted on coming with them and Erik was more than happy to make sure Laurette was in her care.

The door opened and a very polished looking butler stood before them. Erik refused his outstretched hand and leapt down. Then he reached for Laurette who embraced him as he gently placed her down on the ground. Maria stood up but backed away from Erik's hand.

"I will just wait for the steps…I am sure they will bring – oh!" she cried as Erik who was annoyed simply grabbed her and placed her on the ground.

"You are welcome," he said to Maria looking down into her shocked expression. He turned to find Raoul and Christine striding towards them.

"Erik!" exclaimed Christine who rushed to embrace him. Raoul stiffened somewhat and Erik realized this was inappropriate in front of his servants. He held onto Christine a little longer just to make the Count even more uncomfortable.

"Thank you," said Erik finally pulling away. She grabbed onto his hand to begin to lead the way but he stopped and reached back for Laurette. She smiled and he squeezed her hand.

Raoul smiled also and pulled Christine back to him. "I am certain you will enjoy your visit," he said as he led them up the giant outside entrance and into the estate. Several more servants stood in a line within the entry hall. None of them met Erik's eyes which was fine with him as he ducked his head down under the hat he wore. "This is Madame Duprey and Monsieur Rosseau. As I have already explained, their privacy is everything. You will treat them as my most honored guests."

Once out of the servant's view, Christine grabbed Erik again and began to show him all the various art that was displayed throughout the home. He admitted he was quite impressed with so many originals and well known artists. As she chattered away, he noted the pride in her voice. He was pleased that she seemed so happy. Perhaps even the small gesture of affection to him in front of the servants demonstrated that she no longer cared so much about society's rules.

"Have a drink with us," said Raoul leading them to a sitting room.

Ever since the evening before his wedding, Erik had no desire to ever touch another drink again. The thought made his stomach sick. "No…thank you. I think it is best if I make sure to get Laurette to bed. It has been a long journey."

"Oh…of course," said Christine. "I could have one of the servants to show her to your room and you could stay up."

Erik hesitated for a moment. He was not in the least bit tired despite the late hour. And now that they had settled their feelings, Erik truly enjoyed being in Christine's company now. But he shook his head. "No, I want to make sure she actually goes to bed," he said looking at Laurette with a firmly. She rolled her eyes in response.

"Very well then," said Raoul. "We will see you both in the morning."

The butler Erik had seen when they first arrived led them down a long hall. He looked back at them. "Would either of you care for anything to be brought to your room?"

Erik narrowed his eyes at the man. His tone was quite arrogant. "No."

"I see. Well, then this way." He walked with an elegant stride to a door and opened it for them.

Erik had never seen such an overdone, elaborate room in his life. The bed was enormous, made out of cherry with a gigantic headboard. The ceilings were painted with various murals and tapestries hung from the walls.

"And I thought the Opera House was elaborate," muttered Erik.

"Oh yes, I have been to the Opera Populaire," sniffed the butler. "Quite plain. I do believe it is in need of an upgrade."

Now Erik dangerously eyed the man. His remark was completely inappropriate. "When I described this room as elaborate, I did not mean as in tasteful," he said in a low tone.

The butler actually laughed. "Yes, well, since you are not one to be on a social basis, hiding your face and all, I am certain you could learn much from the Count on the proper style in today's society."

"Thank you, that will be all," said Erik in a gruff tone. He had to get the man out of their room before he did something he would regret. Dismissed, the butler turned to leave. "Wait," said Erik suddenly. "Where is our servant, Maria?"

The butler looked disapprovingly at him. "I am certain we can attend to any of your needs Monsieur."

"That is not what I asked," said Erik in a low tone. God this man was irritating him.

The butler stiffened. "Of course. Your…servant. She is on the lower level."

"She is in the basement?" asked Erik now becoming angry.

"She is within the servant's quarters of course." The man titled his head. "Do you not keep her in the proper quarters at the Opera Populaire?"

Erik knew Maria would be horrified if he said otherwise. "Of course. But our servant's rooms are not located in a damp, cold basement. Providing for the proper health of our servants does save us money and the pain of having to re-train another." Erik smirked slightly. "Or at least that is one of my enhancements in my home. Perhaps the Count could learn more about saving such money rather than throwing it away."

The butler frowned. "I think the Count has done quite well and will continue to do so," he said coolly. He left closing the door behind him. Laurette shook her head at him and began to unpack.

"Maria should be doing that," Erik pointed out to her.

"I am not helpless and she is not here at the moment."

"Ah yes, she is locked up in the dungeon of this horrid home."

"Erik, stop it."

He sighed. "Fine, but please leave that until tomorrow," he said nodding toward her bags. "Let's get you to bed." Erik looked again at the enormous bed. "Although I may need a ladder just to help you get in it."

Laurette laughed. "It is rather large."

"The word large does not give it enough justification. And how many damn pillows does one person need?" He began throwing them off the bed and pulled down the blankets. He turned and pulled off Laurette's gown.

"I need my night dress," she protested as he lifted her up into his arms.

"I am not letting you stay up longer to go through those bags. Besides," he said as he dumped her on the bed unceremoniously, "I will keep you warm." He went over to the large windows to draw the drapes closed.

"Wait," said Laurette. "I mean, I do want the drapes closed but for just a moment, look. The moon is so beautiful."

"It is," he agreed. It was a full moon so like the many nights he saw on top of the roof of the Opera House when he missed Laurette. He stood there for a few moments and then slowly drew the drapes. Stripping off his clothes, Erik crawled into bed and pulled Laurette close.

But later in the night he awoke at the sound of something. He looked over at Laurette who was sleeping soundly. Careful not to wake her, Erik climbed out of bed, and pulled on his shirt and pants. He crept softly outside of the room and down the hall where he found…Christine.

She was standing looking at one of the various pieces of art work hanging on the wall. Her hair was completely down, falling in all its curls down her back, much longer than Laurette's hair. He saw she was wearing a white night dress with no robe, the dim light in the room outlining her figure beneath it.

Erik swallowed hard. Something inside him warned him not to get any closer and he turned to walk back to the bedroom.

"Erik?"

Damn it.

He turned to face her. "I did not realize you were awake."

She came forward to him and he realized that….oh God, the top of her nightdress was cut low and transparent. Erik quickly turned his eyes to the floor.

"I…I was hoping we would find some time alone," she said softly.

Erik bit his lip.

"Erik?"

"I think it would be…," he paused, "More appropriate during the day to have conversation." He took a quick glance at her face and saw that she blushed.

"I suppose you are right," she said quietly. "And…I would be lying if I said that I did not still have…some feelings in a certain way for you."

Erik shifted uncomfortably. But then he took a deep breath. "You will always be in my heart Christine." He turned quickly to make his way back to the bedroom.

"I am with child."

Erik stopped dead in his tracks and closed his eyes. For some reason the thought of a child growing within her made him…sad. He knew they were never meant to be. He knew Laurette was his true love. But he could still not help himself as thinking about Raoul being with her in such intimacy…which had now created a child.

"And…do you still love him?" he asked without turning around to face her.

Silence.

"Yes, Erik. I love him."

He opened his eyes and turned to face her slowly. "Then I am happy for you Christine."

"Do you think you will ever have children Erik?"

He shook his head.

"Why not Erik?" Christine asked as she suddenly came forward. "Just because your face-,"

"No," he said cutting her off. "Laurette…she cannot have children. Nor would I want her to."

"Oh. There were times that I wondered…if I had been with you…if you would have said differently."

It was definitely time to leave.

"Did you…ever think about that…with us?" she persisted.

His throat was dry and his brain did not appear to be working. And then the sound of coughing came to his ears.

Laurette.

He hurried to her bedroom and threw open the door. She was sitting up, trying to catch her breath while she coughed repeatedly. Erik could hear the dreadful sound of congestion in her lungs. He cursed and immediately climbed into bed. He held her against him, whispering words of comfort while he massaged the soft skin on her back. His actions seemed to soothe her and she soon relaxed, the coughing beginning to subside.

"Is she alright?"

Laurette jumped as Christine had appeared in the doorway while Erik covered her with the blankets as she had no night dress on. He looked up at Christine. "She is fine. Thank you. Good night."

Christine nodded in response and quietly shut the door.

Laurette moved away from him slightly in the darkness. "I-I just woke up coughing. And then…you were not here."

He clearly heard the hurt in her voice and realized she knew he was with Christine. "I am sorry," he said softly. "I will not leave you again."

"Erik…do you…love me?"

Shocked, Erik framed his hands around her face. "How can you ask me that? Laurette, you are my life. I love you more than life."

She took his hands away from her face. "It is just that…well you have been so attentive to Christine ever since we have arrived."

"I have?" But then Erik remembered how Christine had held his hand the whole time showing her artwork and then even asking if he wanted to stay up with her while Laurette went to bed. "That was not my intention," he said firmly.

"But…just now…you were with her."

"She is carrying Raoul's child."

Laurette's eyes widened. "Oh…,"

"No doubt that is why she could not sleep. Or so, I have heard such things in the early months of pregnancy." Erik did not add that Christine had in fact asked him some rather intimate questions such as if he had once thought to have a child with her. Why was she asking him that when she said she still loved Raoul? Erik vowed he would not place himself in such a position again. God, he never would hurt Laurette. He truly loved her. He cupped her chin. "I should have not left you." He bent down to kiss her and within moments it turned into a burning desire within him. After all, it was a different bed. What was the harm in trying it out?

"Erik," she protested softly as he laid her down flat beneath him and began to kiss her neck. "I think Christine may still be up."

"I do not give a damn," he said in a strained voice as his body began to tighten. He threw off his shirt and pulled her to him. "I want to make love to my wife," he whispered urgently. They were soon so caught up in their passion, Erik was grateful that the large bed was quite…sturdy.

By morning, Erik was still peacefully sleeping with Laurette in his arms when he heard the bedroom door open. He slowly opened up his eyes and then lifted his head to see the arrogant butler striding into the room. Before he could ask what the hell he was doing, the man walked over to the drapes and yanked them open.

Erik cursed loudly as the sunlight hit his eyes and he threw the blanket over his head with Laurette who now had awakened. She looked up at him questionably.

"Oh come now Monsieur," Erik heard the butler practically snort in a loud voice. "It is time for breakfast. The Count and Countess are expecting you."

"You can tell the Count to go to H-,"

"Erik!" Laurette interrupted in a hushed whisper.

"Now Monsieur, I realize that you are his honored guests, but I must insist that you arrive on time. Now…if you will just let me-,"

"If you do not leave in the next few seconds I will cut out your throat," growled Erik. He was satisfied when he heard the man gasp as his remark. And then suddenly they heard cursing in Spanish.

"I think that is Maria," said Laurette, her voice muffled against his chest.

"Thank God," muttered Erik.

The voices grew louder and then they heard Maria practically burst into the room. "DIOS! What are you doing? Get out! Out!"

"I beg your pardon Madame, but this IS my household."

"And THEY are the ones I serve," she hissed back. "Now out!" She began to speak in rapid Spanish, cursing at him until the butler finally left the room. "I am so sorry, Monsieur," she said rushing to close the drapes.

As soon as Erik felt the heat from the sun disappear, he removed the blanket. "Thank you," he breathed. He snuggled back down next to Laurette.

"Of course Monsieur! I will come back to check on you later."

Erik sighed. "We are awake now Maria. We might as well get up."

"Are you sure Monsieur? Wait, let me go get you both some tea."

"Tea would be nice," said Laurette. Erik winced as he heard her cough slightly.

"Yes, bring tea," he said looking down at Laurette with a frown.

"Oh Madame, you are coughing. Should I see if there is a doctor here that can attend to you?"

"No," said Erik immediately. He trusted no one other than Paul. "We are only staying a short while. We will see Doctor Charette once we are back home."

Later he and Laurette sat a breakfast table with Raoul and Christine. He squinted his eyes in pain as the sunlight made the room quite bright. Maria promptly went and shut the drapes to the dismay of Raoul's butler.

"I was quite shocked to hear of Monsieur Leduc's death," said Raoul as a servant poured him some coffee.

"What?" asked Laurette with her eyes wide.

Erik cursed under his breath. He knew she would hear the news sometime but had not planned on it this very moment. "Yes," he said looking at Laurette. "He apparently was riding late at night and a tree fell on the path. The horse threw him."

"Oh…how awful," said Laurette.

"Why do you say that?" asked Erik. "It is not as if the man was worth anything."

"It is still not…right," she said awkwardly, "I mean, I would not wish death on anyone."

Of course not, thought Erik. How little she knew he was the one who had broken the man's neck. Guilt was beginning to eat at him.

"Well I understood he has a young son," said Raoul. "I am certain he will take over the family's inheritance someday."

Erik winced slightly. He did not know Monsieur Leduc already had a son.

One more sin to blacken my soul further. Oh who gave a damn? Most likely he saved the boy from a man who liked to give beatings. Besides, the thought of what he had been doing to innocent young women in his service only made him feel like his decision was justified.

"I heard Andre is getting married," said Christine trying to change the subject.

"Yes," replied Erik. "Monique Bovie is her name from what I could understand of Mary's rather long romantic saga."

Raoul smiled. "It is pleasing to hear that she has surfaced. This world needs more miracles like this."

"I do not understand how she could have disappeared," said Christine.

Raoul shrugged. "I only heard that apparently she somehow lost her memory. It is probably not hard to believe from the tragic fire with her parents and all. Supposedly she moved far away and then she came across a locket her father had given her. She apparently did not have any money and she went to sell it but the merchant recognized it right away. After showing her a picture of her father it was then she remembered."

"That is an amazing story," said Laurette.

"We should write an opera about it," said Erik with a teasing smile.

Laurette laughed. "It is certainly better than a woman throwing herself in a volcano."

"Have you signed any other sopranos to sing with you this season?" asked Christine.

"Um, yes, although Julia will still be signing a majority of the performances of course."

Erik looked at Laurette. "Who else did you sign?" He did not know she had signed on any other guest performers.

Laurette looked down. "Well…ah…I was going to tell you later."

"Oh tell us now!" said Christine excitedly.

Erik shook his head and reached for his coffee. He would corner Laurette later on this issue. He was half owner after all.

"La Carlotta," she replied in a soft voice.

Erik choked on his coffee.

Christine stiffened. "No," she said trying to hide a smile.

"No," repeated Erik now firmly in control of his throat. God help him he was not going to choke to death and allow that woman to sing again in his opera house.

"You do not understand-,"

"No," he aid again. "My God, how could you ask that woman to sing, no wait, the word 'sing' is by far too kind. I believe a better description would be shrieking. Actually, even a cat howling in pain may even be better."

Laurette's face turned slightly red. "Did you know that La Carlotta's husband left her a few years ago?"

"Good man," replied Erik. Raoul covered his smile with his hand.

"Yes, well she has remarried again. Do you know who her new husband is?"

"Why would I give a care in the world as to who that arrogant woman married?"

"Because…she is now married to the mayor of Paris."

Christine gasped. "No…when?"

"Apparently right around the time when we were married."

Erik narrowed his eyes. "I do not recall that horrid woman even visiting."

"Remember the night with all the reporters and the incident with…err, Justine?"

He sighed in irritation at that memory. "Yes."

"Well that was why I was so late coming back to the suite afterwards. Apparently they were in the audience. He approached me by himself after the reporters left and gave me an offer that we could not refuse."

"We?" asked Erik. "I do not recall that we were involved in this conversation. Why did you not tell me this that night?"

"Because you had other things on your mind when I came to bed!" Laurette suddenly blushed even further realizing what she had just blurted out in front of Raoul and Christine.

Erik did not even let the comment faze him. "Yes, well some things between you and I are certainly more important than a woman who pretends to be a soprano. I admit that even if you had attempted the discussion with me it would have not stopped me in focusing in on…more important things."

Raoul was trying hard not to smile but Christine was beginning to laugh. She put her hand up to her mouth in an effort to stop herself.

"He offered to contribute the remainder of the season's expenses for her one performance."

Erik's mouth almost dropped open.

"That is certainly a generous offer," said Raoul who was clearly impressed.

"Yes," said Laurette looking right at Erik. "The rest of the season's earnings will be pure profit for us."

Erik frowned. "I am not as certain I would have said yes so quickly.

"I said no immediately when he first offered it to me!" Laurette shot back.

"Good thing you came to your senses," said Raoul.

Erik glared at him in response.

"Well, it is most impressive. And think of how much money you and Laurette will earn," said Raoul.

"Or break even after all the regular patrons no longer attend," retorted Erik.

"For one performance," said Laurette quietly, "She will bring quite a lot of publicity. I have little doubt the seats will be sold out."

"Is this what you want to make of our Opera House? For so long I have heard so many say what you have brought significance in the world of the arts Laurette! Now you are just as ruthless as Monsieur Garier in these publicity strategies."

Laurette looked upset and he cursed himself. He should have not said that.

"It is just one performance," she said quietly.

Erik calmed himself. "You are in fact better at some strategies than I," he said in a neutral voice. "I have no choice but to trust in you." He kissed her hand in apology.

Christine giggled. "And you will let Raoul and I be the first to purchase tickets for the performance, yes?"

Erik could not help but laugh at the teasing note in her voice. "Do not push the issue Christine," he said in mock severity. "Besides, with your condition you should be resting at home."

Raoul's smile disappeared. "You told him?"

"Well…yes."

"When?"

"I…well, last night."

"You were up last night alone with…him?"

Laurette straightened. "Actually I became sick with one of my coughing spells," she interjected. "I sent Erik to get me some water. He came back and told me the wonderful news after he passed by her in the hall. She was kind enough to even check on me when Erik came back to the room."

Erik was speechless. So was Christine. But the white lie appeared to have worked as Raoul grew less tense.

"Oh…well we had hoped to tell you together."

"Well Erik is always demanding when it comes to my health. I am sure he wasn't pleased to see Christine out of bed in the cold of the night. With his attitude I am sure she had to tell him why she could not sleep. Otherwise he would have poured medicine down her throat as well."

Raoul laughed lightly and Erik squeezed Laurette's hand in thanks. There were times he felt as if he truly did not deserve her.

As the day passed by, Erik could not remember a time when he had seen so many rooms. The mansion was enormous and he swore Raoul got lost a few times in trying to show off his many assets. They were interrupted by the butler announcing that Erik and Laurette had a visitor. Surprised, Erik nodded to show the visitor to the room. Raoul and Christine excused themselves to begin getting ready for the pre-production events of the new opera house.

"Maestro!"

Erik was in shock as Julia strode forward and threw her arms around him. He returned her embrace and then let her give Laurette a hug as well. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Well…I wanted to tell both of you before you heard the news from someone else. I-I am engaged to be married!" she said with a nervous smile and held out her hand to reveal a very large diamond ring.

When Erik remained speechless, Laurette gave a warm smile. "Congratulations Julia. And who is this very lucky husband-to-be?"

"Arthur Murrell."

This name meant nothing to Erik but Laurette widened her eyes. "I have heard he is quite wealthy and has a very good reputation as a gentleman," she said. Erik was somewhat relieved to hear this. Of course anyone had to be better than Monsieur Leduc…or Justine.

"Yes, well, my father is very happy of course."

"Of course," murmured Erik noting that she only stated her father was happy, not her. Julia avoided his eyes.

"How long have you known him?" asked Laurette.

"We actually just met a few days ago. The arrangement was made by my father of course."

"A few days ago?" asked Erik. "You are marrying a man whom you just met?"

Again Julia avoided his eyes. "It is…a good match. And besides," she said taking a deep breath, "Love tends to make one do foolish things anyway." She then glanced up at him and Erik knew she was referring to her relationship with Justine.

"There are times I have been more than foolish with Laurette," Erik replied bringing her hand to his mouth and softly kissing it, "But that still did not stop me."

"Yes well at least you are both…loyal to each other," said Julia in a soft voice. She quickly changed the subject. "Monsieur Murrell is a very fine man. He has been nothing less than a gentleman. I am sure it will be a good union."

"Without love," said Erik quietly.

Julia winced a bit. "I should be going. I have to get ready for the performance this evening."

"You are coming this evening to the new Opera House?" asked Laurette.

"Yes, when the Count and Countess learned I was in town to become engaged they invited me."

"So perhaps I will find you after the performance to meet Monsieur Murrell. Well, as long as the reporters lined up do not get in my way," said Laurette. Erik frowned at that comment. He still did not like her being used in such a way for publicity. But he also knew she would be excited to tour the building.

"Well actually," Julia said excitedly, "I will be in your balcony this evening!"

"With Monsieur Murrell?" asked Erik with worry. Christine had promised him that he could also attend in secret. But he could not sit with Laurette if this was the case.

"Oh…no, I am afraid he cannot attend this evening."

"Well," said Erik pleased that he could still sit with Laurette, "We would be honored to keep you company."

Julia smiled. "Thank you Maestro. I am sorry but I must go. He is waiting for me outside."

They said their goodbyes and Erik walked over to a window. Looking down he saw a carriage in front of the mansion. As soon as Julia appeared, the carriage door opened and a man with silver hair reached for her. Erik watched as he kissed her hand.

"He is old," said Erik in disgust.

Laurette came to the window. "Yes, but he is a gentleman. He will take good care of her. And many older men still father children. It will certainly be important for Monsieur Murrell to have an heir."

"How convenient. He needs an heir. And as an extra incentive he receives an innocent girl to take advantage of."

"Well…," Laurette hesitated. "He may very well be experienced but that…would only help her."

Erik winced as he knew Laurette's innocence was so brutally taken from her. And good God it was not like he was the most gentle with her during their first time. He suddenly bent down to kiss her.

"I think we should be getting ready ourselves," he murmured. "And maybe we should lie down for a few moments."

Laurette laughed. I thought you hated that rather large bed.

"I am beginning to become quite fond of it," said Erik as he led her down the hall.


	31. Chapter 31

_My apology for not updating this sooner. Unfortunately life is pretty hectic right now but I will still be trying to finish what has been in my head for so long and continue to get it written down. This is a fairly short chapter but it continues to move the story._

Chapter 31

"Good evening," said Raoul.

Erik nodded and watched from his darkened spot in the balcony as Raoul carefully helped Christine to sit. She was wearing a beautiful blue satin dress that looked radiant. Unfortunately Christine's face paled in comparison. In fact, she looked rather white.

"How are you feeling?" asked Erik.

Christine smiled slightly. "Just a bit ill. It will pass."

"I told her she should not have come tonight," said Raoul looking firmly at her.

"Oh I could not miss the opening of our own opera house!"

"Neither could I," said Laurette who suddenly appeared inside the balcony. Erik smiled and reached out to take her hand as she sat next to him.

"How was the tour?" he asked.

Laurette beamed. "Magnificent! I am so impressed with the acoustics here!"

"The best of course," said Raoul smiling.

Erik withheld his irritation. "Yes, well I am sure it will be quite the performance."

"Yes, now that I know Justine is here tonight," said Laurette who lightly hit Erik in the arm. "You did not tell me."

"We are so pleased he has joined us," said Christine.

"Who has joined you?"

Erik looked up to suddenly see Julia who had appeared. Laurette hesitated and changed the subject. "Julia! How good to see you. And that is such a beautiful dress."

"Thank you," replied Julia blushing as her hands smoothed down her ivory skirt. Erik stood up and let Laurette sit on the other side of him to make room for Julia. He shook his head. Who would have ever thought he would be sitting between two beautiful women? And one that was his wife?

The lights flickered and a hush fell over the crowd. The first few sopranos and tenors that performed solos and duets were very good. But Justine's entrance alone caused the most thunderous applause before he could even sing. He bowed slightly on the stage. Erik felt Julia stiffen next to him.

But soon the music began and Erik's mind focused on Laurette sitting next to him. He saw her eyes widen as she listened to the introduction, the notes sounding so very familiar…

And then Justine began to sing that sweet melody that time and time again Erik had heard Laurette play. He grinned as she held her hand to her mouth and looked at him.

"Is that…,"

"Your song, yes," said Erik. "I added lyrics for you. It is the way I feel about you."

She listened as Justine sang the song in French, his voice hitting the notes perfectly. Erik had added the violin as one of the main instruments instead of the piano. He had presented the song to Justine before they had left, asking him if he would like something new for his debut at a new opera house. Justine later told Erik the conductor was so impressed that he wanted more songs from the secret composer. Perhaps it would be something he could consider in the future.

By the end of the song Laurette had tears streaming down her face. Erik leaned down and kissed her wet face. "I love you," he whispered.

The audience erupted into a standing ovation.

Once the audience settled back in their seats, Justine began another song. It began with his voice, not waiting for any music. Justine sang quietly until he became louder and the music joined in.

"Oh…God," whispered Laurette.

"What?" asked Erik as he saw dismay in her eyes.

"He is…singing to her."

Singing to whom? Wait. Oh…no.

Julia.

Justine was singing to Julia.

It was a song about love betrayed and the regret of broken vows. Justine had walked over to the left of the stage and was standing in front of them, singing right at Julia. He continued on with lyrics that spoke of now understanding love even though it was lost. Now it was Julia that had tears streaming down her cheeks.

Raoul and Christine shifted uncomfortably as Justine continued to sing as if it were the last song of his life. When the music faded and the audience once more broke into thunderous applause, Julia fled the balcony. Christine and Laurette quickly followed her.

Erik looked back at the stage and almost felt sorry for Justine. He had seen Julia leave and his face once more showed a look of rejection. Without even bowing to the standing ovation, he left the stage.

"Is there a way I can get to his dressing room?" asked Erik.

Raoul thought for a moment. "The theater is still fairly full. I doubt many are wandering about at this time. We can try."

Erik grabbed his cloak and hat. He followed Raoul who carefully led him down the empty halls outside the theater. Once backstage, Raoul occupied several of the stage hands while Erik slipped into Justine's dressing room.

Erik found him sitting at the dressing table with his head in his hands. Justine glanced into the mirror and suddenly jumped out of his seat. "God! You scared the hell out of me!"

"I am glad to see I still have some effect on you."

Justine regained his composure. "Oh please." He paused for a moment, most likely trying to think of some other smart remark. But he just sighed.

"You sang well."

Justine drummed his fingers on the dressing table and nodded, his eyes drifting down to the floor.

"Laurette was impressed with your first song."

Justine finally showed some interest and lifted his head. "Was she?"

"Yes, I would say you managed to make her shed a few tears."

For a moment, Justine smiled but then it disappeared. "And…Julia?"

Erik sighed. "Why do you ask?"

"Well…I….just thought-,"

"You thought what exactly?" asked Erik now annoyed. "She is engaged. Your relationship has ended with her. Why would you do that to her?"

Justine ran his hand through his hair.

"Well?"

"_I cannot get her out of my mind, alright?_" exclaimed Justine suddenly. He began to pace the room. "I know she is getting married. I know I do not deserve her. I just-,"

Erik's eyes narrowed. "I believe you have caused her enough pain Justine."

"I know," he replied. "But I am…I am in just as much pain."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I am sure," replied Justine. "But it is true. Ever since that night…God, Maestro, I haven't even been with another woman ever since."

Erik tightened his jaw.

"Look, I know you do not believe me. But she has robbed me of everything. Life is not the same." Justine began to pace the room even more, his voice now filling with anger. "She did this to me. I am lost. I just want to return to being happy! _God,_ I am an idiot. I do _not_ need her. I mean, I could have almost any woman in the world! Why should I care? _I am sick of this_!" And then Justine suddenly picked up a vase from the dressing table and smashed it into the mirror. The glass shattered and the noise drew the attention of the stagehands that began pounding on the door.

"Monsieur? Is everything alright?"

"Yes!" shouted Justine. "Just….just an accident. Everything is fine." He picked up a few of the shards of glass from the floor and then gave up. Not caring if there was glass on the chair, he sat down and put his face in his hands.

Erik remained silent. Justine's temper surprised him. And yet…it did not. Deep down Erik already knew. He had just never wanted to admit it. But here it was. Justine truly loved Julia. Erik could relate to the sudden anger and to his horror he found himself feeling sorry for Justine.

He shook his head, disgusted with himself. Julia did deserve better but yet…damn it; Justine was not entirely a bad person. It was Justine who created the laughter among the cast. He was a leader, never a follower. Images of those moments flashed through Erik's mind until he came to the realization that Justine…deserved more.

Erik found his feet crunching over the shards of glass on the floor and for the first time, he reached out and placed his hand on one of Justine's slumped shoulders. Justine lifted his head in response. Staring into the broken mirror their eyes met.

"You knew," whispered Justine. "That day. You tried to tell me that I needed to learn more about what was beyond the music."

"Yes," said Erik softly.

"Well, I wish I did not understand."

"I know."

Justine drew a deep breath. "Thank you…for everything."

"What will you do?" asked Erik taking his hand away as Justine straightened.

"What I was born to do. I will continue to sing, tour the world. I know it will not take away the pain completely. But I need to take comfort in something. And singing still gives me that comfort. Along with the fact that I know Julia will be at least taken care of."

God, how ironic this was similar to how Erik felt with Christine at one point. Now he found himself totally sympathetic to Justine…damn it.

A knock came at the door but to the relief of Erik it was Raoul. Justine gave a formal bow of farewell to Erik. "Thank you," he said again.

Erik gave a slight nod and then disappeared into the corridor with Raoul. He was grateful when the performance was over. Erik was already tired of secretly slinking from place to place inside the opera house. He wanted to be back with Laurette in his own home where he felt like he could walk around as a normal man. He sighed. At least tomorrow they would leave and finally travel back to Paris.

Once back at the Count's home, Erik said good night to Christine as Raoul firmly took her hand to make sure she went straight to bed. Laurette stood by the window and Erik came up behind her.

"The night is beautiful is it not?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Laurette…what is wrong? Are you feeling alright?" he asked noting her silence.

She sighed in response. "It is Julia."

"I take it she is still upset."

"Yes. She is staying here, did you know?" Erik shook his head. "Raoul offered when she needed a place to stay. It is improper to stay with her future husband before the wedding of course."

"Of course," murmured Erik.

Laurette walked over to the fireplace to warm herself. "Life is sometimes too complicated." She laughed lightly. "Or perhaps I mean love."

"I think it is time for you to go to bed," said Erik noting that her eyes were tired. She nodded, giving no usual protest which concerned him. He gave her no choice and picked her up. Carrying her down the hall to the bedroom, Erik gently undressed her and placed her in the bed. She fell asleep immediately.

Erik however, was not tired. He wandered out of the bedroom and back to the great sitting room. By now the fire was almost out and the room was covered in darkness which suited him just fine. He missed his own opera house terribly at the moment. There was still a sense of peace for him strangely in the darkness. He sat down and let out a breath.

"Oh!"

Erik almost jumped out of the chair as Julia practically stumbled over his feet.

"I am so sorry Maestro! I did not see you sitting there. It is so dark in here."

Erik sighed. "That is alright," he said standing. He walked over to a nearby table and turned on a few of the lamps. "What are you still doing up?" he asked even though he already knew the answer.

"I just…could not sleep. It is most likely that my mind is so occupied with all the wedding plans."

Oh please, thought Erik.

"There is just so much to do. And it is strange. I-I am not used to all the attention."

"What do you mean?" he asked. "You received quite the attention when you were our lead soprano."

Julia blushed. "Well I mean from Monsieur Murrell's family. They are very…,"

"Overbearing?"

She laughed. "Well overprotective might be a nicer word."

"I have never been one to use kind words to hide the true meaning behind them," replied Erik.

Julia smiled. "No…you have always been direct. I sometimes wish I could do that as well."

"Then tell me the real reason you are still up and cannot sleep."

Her smile faltered. "What do you mean?"

Erik was not going to stay and play this game. He already had the patience of a saint earlier with Justine. "Perhaps I should check on Laurette," he said and turned to leave the room.

"No! Wait…please."

Erik turned to face her and waited.

"I know you saw that he was-," Julia choked for a moment, holding back tears. "You know he was singing to me."

"Yes," replied Erik quietly.

"It is just…so difficult."

"You still love him."

Julia's eyes widened. "Y-yes. But what is worse is that I have…_disappointed you_ by admitting such a thing!" And with that, she burst into tears.

Erik was speechless. First, he was surprised that she so desperately wanted his approval in the matter. And second, well, he hated dealing with women and their tears. Why did women always cry?

"Julia…,"

"I-I am…so…sorry," she sobbed.

Damn it. She was beginning to cry harder now at this point and she was going to wake up some of the household. He did not need to see the look on that arrogant butler's face upon discovering Julia in such a state.

"Why do you care so much as to what I think?" he asked.

"Because…you are more…my-my…I mean…like a real…father t-to me," she said between gulps of air.

Erik closed his eyes for a moment. He had thought of Julia as a daughter. Most likely he always had treated her like one. And he certainly acted the part with his disapproval of Justine.

"Come here Julia."

"W-why?"

Erik ignored his annoyance. "Come. Here."

Julia took a few reluctant steps and Erik pulled her into his arms. Shocked by his sudden embrace, she struggled for a moment but he continued to hold her. She gave up and collapsed against him, burying her face into his shoulder.

Erik let her cry for a moment longer and then pulled away. He reached down and pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes. "You are the daughter I never had. And despite my reservations about Justine…I know from tonight that he does in fact love you."

Julia's eyes shimmered with tears once more. "He does?"

"Of course he does," said Erik. "You have turned his world upside down Julia. He knows now that no other woman will ever satisfy him. He is angry that you have given him that realization. It is now up to you."

"I-I still love him."

"Then you must do what your heart tells you to do."

Julia suddenly flung her arms around his neck. "Thank you Maestro," she whispered to him. And then she fled the room.

Erik stared after her for a few moments. What had he done? He had his chance to separate both of them. He could have said so many things to talk either one out of being with the other. God he was growing soft.

He turned off the lights and went to join Laurette in bed.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Erik cringed as the screeching only increased, echoing throughout the Opera Populaire. La Carlotta was rehearsing on the stage below. He peered out from the balcony looking down at Laurette. Well, more like glaring at her.

Laurette looked up, saw his eyes, and covered her smile with her hand. She swallowed hard, trying to regain her composure as Carlotta had finished the song.

"Thank you Mademoiselle, that was most…," Laurette hesitated, "Most unique."

Erik scoffed out loud and Carlotta looked up at the sound.

"Would you like to take a break for a moment?" asked Laurette trying to distract her from looking at the balcony.

Carlotta focused her attention back on Laurette. "Oh my goodness, no!" she exclaimed in her thick, overdone Spanish accent. "I have not been on stage for years! I love every moment of this! I should like to practice every minute while I am here!"

Erik looked at one of the curtains in his balcony. He had never really noticed the thick braided rope that wrapped around each one to tie the curtains back. Maybe he could use that piece of rope to hang himself before she began to sing once more.

Too late to act on his thoughts, the screeching began once more. Not being able to take it anymore, Erik covered his ears and left the theater. But the sound only seemed to follow him even back at Laurette's suite. His head was aching.

"Monsieur? May I get you in anything?" asked Maria appearing in the doorway of the library.

"Scotch."

"Monsieur?"

"You heard me."

Charles suddenly appeared in the room. "Maria, go on and attend to dinner. I will take care of the master." He walked over to the small bar area and poured a drink. As Erik held his head with one hand, Charles offered it to him.

"Thank you," muttered Erik and downed the scotch in one swallow. "What is Maria fixing for dinner?"

Charles hesitated. "Duck with rosemary."

Duck? This was not something normally on Maria's menu.

"La Carlotta requested the meal."

Erik straightened in his chair. "Do you mean to tell me that woman will be sitting and eating at MY table?"

"I am afraid so," replied Charles. "The mayor cornered Madame earlier today requesting if he could stop by around the dinner hour to collect his wife. It would have been most rude of Madame not to offer a meal."

"So I take it I will be eating in the bedroom," grumbled Erik.

"I am afraid so unless…you would like to eat now. I could have Maria set a place for you to eat early in the dining room."

Erik waved him off. "No. I do not think I will be hungry anyway."

"Of course, Monsieur."

Erik watched as Charles disappeared into the dining room. Maria would have stayed and argued with him about eating something. He was glad Charles stepped in as he may have said something he regretted to her with his mood. God! The very thought of that woman singing at one of the performances made his skin crawl. Shaking his head, he retired to the bedroom.

Much later he heard voices and knew that the meal was being served. He heard La Carlotta's cackle of laughter and he gritted his teeth. He could not help himself of course. He had to go through one of the secret passageways near the library so he could hear the conversation. He was soon standing in the darkness in one of the corridors. He could hear everything.

"You were so lovely on that stage my dear."

"And you did not even see me in my costume! Wait until you see me on the night of the actual performance!"

"I am sure you will be ravishing. You will always be the only star, my love. Diva soprano or the mayor's wife, you are the most prominent woman in today's high society!"

When Erik heard kisses between La Carlotta and the Mayor, he was now grateful that he had nothing in his stomach…to throw up.

"I want to thank you again for your generous offer," Erik heard Laurette's sweet voice fill the air. It made him breathe again.

"Of course, of course. It is a write-off for us anyway. Helps my campaign for next year as well. The arts are quite important to the city of Paris. A mayor should do his part to contribute."

"As well as his wife making her return debut!" said Carlotta. "It is a shame it is for only one performance. Are you certain you could not make some exception?"

Erik's stomach tightened.

"I wish I could," replied Laurette. "But the season is booked already with some visiting sopranos. And the audience will also be expecting many of our original cast as well."

"Perhaps you could persuade those other so-called sopranos to cancel their dates in place of my wife for, oh say, next year's expenses paid in full?"

Now Erik was holding his breath. Good Lord, how could Laurette refuse such an offer? He was now dreading the rest of the Opera season.

"That is most kind," said Laurette. "But I cannot back down from my promise to other singers or what our audience will be expecting in the season."

"Well they would be surprised and delighted with my wife singing more than one show!"

"Yes…I am sure they would be…surprised," replied Laurette slowly. Erik smiled in the darkness as she was choosing her words so very carefully. "I promise you that we can look once more at next year's season for Carlotta to sing again."

"Next year is not good enough!" exclaimed Carlotta. "I should be the lead soprano in every show! I was at one time the most famous diva. You are making a foolish choice. Are you so certain that you understand how to run an Opera House? After all, a directing role is much different. You need to select your choices for soprano with the thought of what the audience will want to hear to sell tickets."

"I am sorry. But I have made my decision."

Erik heard the scraping of chairs indicating that Carlotta had suddenly stood up from the table.

"This opera house would have been better off with…with a MAN in charge," La Carlotta said loudly. "You are too soft and do not recognize talent."

"Again, I am sorry."

"This is not over," retorted Carlotta. "I will see to it that-,"

"My dear, please," said the Mayor interrupting.

"Do not call me your dear! You are not even defending me!"

"She has clearly made up her mind. She has even apologized. There is nothing more we can do. Come. Let us take our leave. Madame Duprey, thank you for the lovely dinner."

Erik could hear La Carlotta huffing with anger. Actually Erik could hear her breathing all the time. She had gained quite a bit of weight and it was amazing she had enough breath in her to screech those songs.

When he heard the door closed, Erik emerged into the library. Laurette came into the room, saw him, and practically fell into his arms. He squeezed her in his embrace burying his face into her hair.

"I am so tired," she murmured into Erik's chest.

Without a word, Erik picked her up and went into the bedroom. After undressing her, he laid her down on the bed and began to rub her neck, then her temples with his soothing fingers. Within moments she fell asleep and he kissed her softly.

There was a knock at the door.

"Monsieur?" It was Charles.

"What?" growled Erik as he was already undressed and ready to settle down to sleep.

"I am sorry Monsieur. But you…you have a guest here to see you."

Muttering a curse, Erik went over to the door and cracked it open. "Who?" he demanded.

"Doctor Charette."

"Please tell Paul that I do not feel like playing a game of chess tonight. He can visit tomorrow when Laurette is not sleeping so he can check on her."

"I am…sorry Monsieur. However, I must insist that you see him."

Insist? What the Hell? Who was the damn master around here? "Charles, I am not in the mood for-,"

"Please," said Charles looking at him with a most serious look upon his face.

Erik stared at him for a moment. "Fine. Give me a moment." He shut the door and threw his clothes back on. Making sure Laurette was covered with enough blankets; he turned and went out into the sitting room. Charles was waiting.

"Where is he?"

"The library."

Erik plodded heavily out of the room and down the hall to the library. He stopped short when he saw Paul sitting in one of the arm chairs in front of the fire. The look upon his face was one that Erik had never seen. It was then he noticed the bottle of Scotch sitting on the table next to him. Paul took the glass he was holding, refilled it, and drank it solidly down. He reached over for another refill. Something was seriously wrong.

"I am afraid he has not stopped," said Charles quietly. "I tried to take it away from him but he became very angry."

"Thank you Charles," said Erik softly. "That will be all for now."

Charles bowed and left the room.

Erik walked slowly over to where Paul was sitting. He looked up from his chair. "So there you are," Paul said with his words now beginning to slur. "I was wondering where you were. You always knew how to hide well. I envy that sometimes."

Erik slowly sat down in the other armchair in front of the fire.

Paul had drunk down another shot of scotch and was eyeing the empty glass, turning it and looking at his hand. "Do you know how many bones are in the human hand Erik?"

Erik shook his head.

"Twenty-seven." Charles put the glass down on the table and held up his hand. "Can you believe that? Twenty-seven. Amazing how something so small can hold so much. And we take it for granted." He laughed suddenly. "We take everything for granted. It is only when something happens do we look at everything differently. But you have had that all your life. So you are the exception."

Erik watched as Paul once more refilled the glass and took another drink.

"Remember how we spoke of one time that evil men like Monsieur Garier meet their punishment in death?"

"I believe it was you who said that," replied Erik quietly remembering that his own thought was to punish the man before death. In his eyes, death was mercy.

Paul gave a small laugh. His hand wobbled as he reached for the bottle. "My theory has holes in it. I had not stopped to think about the innocent."

"You said that someone like Nicole would remain beautiful and that death in a way…sustained that memory."

"Yes, well that is for someone who at least lived life." He had set down the glass and now took the bottle to his lips.

"What has happened Paul?" Erik asked softly.

Paul clenched his free hand into a fist. The silence stretched between them for a few moments. The doctor finally gazed into the fire and spoke. "One of my patients died tonight."

"I am sorry."

"So were her parents. I saw her only a day ago. I thought she had just a bad virus of some sort, making her sick. I told her parents she would be fine after a few days of rest." He looked at Erik. "She was two years old."

Erik sucked in his breath for a moment and watched as Paul took another drink straight from the bottle.

"I listened to her mother cry for an hour while I tried to save her child. When I told them she had died, I will never forget the look on that father's face of complete damnation of my soul. And he is right to think of such a thing. I am getting too old, too careless. I caused her death."

Erik found this very hard to believe and shook his head. "What was the cause of her death?"

"It was Rubella in a very early form."

"So she did not show any of the classic symptoms."

"No."

"And would you recognize it now in another child in such an early phase?"

"Yes. And this may unfortunately be a sign of more children becoming sick. There is a vaccine that is being developed that I must begin to distribute."

Erik leaned back in his chair. "So…you are telling me that with this child you will now be able to save other children."

Paul glared at him. "I could have prevented this child's death!"

"How? These were symptoms you had not seen before that would of anything in a serious nature. You have now learned differently. There was nothing you could have done."

"If I had taken more caution, maybe stayed with her longer…,"

"You cannot sleep next to every patient Paul. You have hundreds more to attend. You are better than this and you know it."

The doctor put down the bottle on the table. Slumping down, he placed his head in his hands, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. It was obvious to Erik that he was trying to maintain his dignity by hiding his eyes.

Erik leaned forward. "I have an explanation for your theory on death of the innocent, such as this small child that did not live."

Paul slowly took his hands away and looked at him.

"Could it be that God has a way of sending a message, or perhaps a messenger, one that has a special designation in their life to show the way in preventing others from death? This child has helped you. In a way she has helped so many other children live in the future."

"I am…not certain that I…I like that." Erik saw Paul sway in the chair, the effects of the alcohol beginning to take hold.

"It is an explanation and I believe it is the right one," said Erik.

Paul fell back into the chair. "Maybe..," he mumbled and closed his eyes.

Erik got up and went to find Charles. Together, they returned and carried Paul into one of the other bedrooms. Once he was on the bed, Charles took over in undressing him, making sure the doctor was comfortable. He returned to Laurette who was awake and looked at him questioningly so he quickly told her the events of the evening.

In the morning, Erik awoke to find Laurette was already up. Dressing quickly, he hurried into the dining room where he found Paul and Laurette eating breakfast. Maria was pouring more coffee into the doctor's cup.

He went over and kissed Laurette who smiled up at him. Paul glanced up but then went back to drinking his coffee.

"How are you feeling?" asked Erik quietly.

"Fine…thank you," replied Paul almost awkwardly. Erik could tell the doctor was most likely embarrassed by his behavior last night and did not want to discuss it in front of Laurette.

"Paul?"

Erik looked up and saw Mary standing next to Charles. Paul stared at her for a few moments before speaking. "Mary…I am…I should have let you know where I was…I was-,"

"Come here."

"I-,"

"Paul," said Mary again looking at him.

The doctor got up slowly and walked over to her. Mary embraced him and Paul broke down, weeping as she held him. Charles quickly escorted both of them to a more private room.

Erik sat down next to Laurette.

"I called her this morning," she said. "I knew she was what he needed."

"That is because you are a most intelligent woman," replied Erik taking her hand and kissing it.

"It is so very sad. And a child so young." She sighed and switched the subject. "So are you ready for the ball after the performance tonight?"

Erik groaned. He could not believe Carlotta had insisted on a masquerade after her performance. Due to this type of event, everyone would be expecting Monsieur Rosseau to attend with Laurette, even more so now that he blurted out to the authorities that he had married her. They all knew the isolated man would only appear if he could somehow still hide himself in keeping with his privacy. While convenient, Erik was wishing he did not have such a figure to portray this evening.

"I take that as a no."

He sighed. "You know I will be there…at least for you."

"Good. It has been unfair that I have only been the one to deal with her."

"I have been dealing with that screeching in my head. That alone deserves your gratitude."

Laurette smiled. "Well now you will listen to her talk."

"There is no way in Hell I am going to hold a conversation with that woman."

"It would be most improper-,"

"Monsieur Rosseau is a private man. He does not hold long conversations."

Laurette's eyes mocked him. "Oh? My, how well you seem to know the man you have never even met!"

"No one else did either," Erik pointed out. "I can make him into exactly what I want."

She rolled her eyes. "Well you still have to be there."

After breakfast they walked to the Music Room. Once inside the room, Laurette was teasing Erik about Carlotta when the door burst open and Julia almost ran right into them.

"Maestro!" she exclaimed. She quickly turned and slammed the door shut behind her, locking it.

"Julia, what are you-,"

"JULIA!" boomed a voice from outside the room.

Erik and Laurette looked nervously at each other and then at Julia. She bowed her head in apology. "I am a-afraid it is my f-father," she stammered.

Laurette jumped at the sound of knocking on the door. "Open this door now!" yelled Julia's father.

"I am so sorry…,"

The door suddenly bulged with a large thud.

"Oh God, he is trying to get in," whispered Julia.

Another loud jolt had the door almost bursting open and Erik grabbed Julia to pull her through one of the secret mirrors just as the door broke. Julia almost screamed as she was pulled into the darkness but Erik covered her mouth with his hand. He glared back through the mirror.

A rather large round man with a balding head was standing over Laurette. He had a grey moustache and his eyebrows furrowed together in anger as he stared at her. "Where is she? I saw her come in here!"

Laurette took a breath and straightened. "I cannot help you."

"You are the one responsible for her breaking off the engagement," he roared. "A damn woman! You are the one who put all this nonsense in her head!"

"I do not know what you are talking ab-,"

"You made her go against my wishes!" exclaimed the man, his face now red with anger.

Laurette frowned. "Julia has her own mind Monsieur. Now I suggest you leave."

"Ha! I will not leave until you produce my daughter _right now_!"

"I believe you are mistaken," said Charles who appeared in the doorway. Erik was glad to see help had arrived. "Monsieur if you will please follow me."

"I am not leaving!"

"If I have to remove you by force I will."

"As if you could even do such a thing!"

Maurice and Andre suddenly came into the room. "We will remove you by force if you insist," said Andre.

Julia's father fumed. "I will be back for her."

"Not if I can help it." Justine pushed aside Andre and walked next to Laurette's side. "Julia is no longer of your concern. I will be taking care of her as her future husband."

"I know your reputation," sneered Julia's father. "How low you are not to think of her future or her mother's future for that matter."

"I care very much about her future unlike you," replied Justine coolly. "I will see to it that her mother will be taken care of. And out of sheer duty I will also ensure that you are provided for as well. But let me make it clear that her wishes are my first priority. If she decides that she does not want me to provide for you due to your lack of love, then I will not hesitate."

Julia wriggled free of Erik and pounded on the mirror. "No!"

Erik shook his head, tapped on the mirror, and pushed her out with him staying behind. Julia stumbled into the room and Justine quickly caught her in his arms.

"I still love my father Justine," she said wiping tears from her face. She glared at her father, "Even though he does not understand the true meaning of love."

"I understand that love was not enough to prevent this arrogant boy to eagerly indulge in the charms of other women," her father shot back.

"Hear me now," said Justine straightening, "I will be the first to admit that I have made some grave mistakes in my past." He looked down at Julia. "And I will spend the rest of my life making it up to this woman who I do not deserve." Julia smiled and he bent down to kiss her. Her father gave a sharp curse and abruptly left the room.

As Erik emerged, Andre clapped Justine on the back. "I thought marriage was being chained for life!" he teased.

Justine grinned and looked at Erik. "I would gladly be chained to the woman I love."

Erik frowned and shook his head. "Julia, I suggest you take his word on that comment. I do have the real chains should you need them." Everyone laughed and Laurette came over to hug Julia while Maurice congratulated Justine.

"And we are to meet this mysterious bride of yours in a few weeks I hear?" asked Justine as Andre gave Julia a hug as well.

"Yes, it is all my Aunt Mary can talk about. I believe she has just about invited the entire city."

"Good," said Erik, "Perhaps it will make La Carlotta angry that more will show for your engagement gala over her ball this evening."

Justine chuckled and turned to Laurette. "Madame, did I thank you for not asking me to perform tonight?"

Andre elbowed him in the ribs. "Of course she did not ask you. Ever since you decided to join the Count de Chagny's opera house, I have quite enjoyed being in the spotlight for a while now." His eyes filled with laughter as he looked at Erik. "Well, at least until now."

"Justine, you have a true friend indeed. Even I would not be able to endure the torture he will be going through on stage tonight," agreed Erik.

"It is the least I can do for you allowing us to use the ball room for my engagement party," said Andre. "And we have decided to make it a masquerade so that you can attend as well."

Erik could not suppress a slight groan as Laurette hid her smile with her hand.

"Did I say something wrong? Do you not wish to attend?"

Laurette laughed. "Of course he wants to attend Andre. You are just reminding him that he must make an appearance for tonight's ball as well. I am certain La Carlotta will be expecting to try and persuade him into somehow finding a way to allow her additional performances."

Erik practically huffed in response and Laurette giggled while she hugged him. He pulled away in mock irritation at her but he was also laughing inside.

At least he was until he found himself in the ball room facing Carlotta that evening. The performance had been the worst he had ever seen. She had pranced around the stage in a costume far too small for her size. He thought for sure it would have ripped while she screeched her last song.

But Laurette was right as far as publicity. The performance had sold out immediately. And while this should have somewhat soothed him, Erik shuddered as he knew the reason was for the audience to laugh when they should have been demanding the beauty of real music. At least Laurette had still managed to bring that beauty to life this season for he did hear comments from the audience anxiously awaiting the next 'real' production from her.

"So this is the mysterious Monsieur Michel Rosseau," exclaimed Carlotta who had just been introduced to him.

Erik bowed in head in politeness only to freeze as she lifted her hand to him. He glanced at Laurette who was trying not to glare at him. Erik shuddered slightly but managed to take Carlotta's extended hand and give it a very quick kiss.

"I have not seen a review from you in quite some time," remarked the mayor puffing on a cigar.

Carlotta cackled with laughter. "How could he? Everyone would know that he is just using his words as a means to praise his most favorite."

Erik frowned but Laurette smiled and took his hand. "Exactly," she said sweetly. "In the future he will focus more reviews on other Opera Houses as he used to."

The music began and a dance was under way on the floor. Erik watched with envy as the couples swayed under the music. Perhaps he could get away if he politely asked Laurette to dance…

"Madame Duprey," said the mayor suddenly, "Would you give me the honor in having a dance with me?"

Laurette gave a small smile and accepted his hand. Thinking with dread that he would be left to converse with Carlotta alone, Erik made an effort to give Laurette a quick kiss to demonstrate he would do this for her. But to his complete horror, Carlotta approached him and extended her hand once more.

"And will Monsieur Rosseau offer me a dance as well?"

Erik sharply turned his head to give Laurette a mortified stare who was being led to the dance floor. She narrowed her eyes at him in response.

He turned his attention once more back to Carlotta who was smiling at him. His stomach turned but he reached out to take her chubby fingers. Erik cursed silently in his head the entire time he directed her to the dance floor. Out of the corner of his eye he already saw Justine laughing like a hyena.

Carlotta chose a very close dance posture and he swallowed his disgust as she pressed up against his body. He smelled her overpowering perfume and felt nauseous.

"You are such a good dancer!" exclaimed Carlotta as they began to move about the dance floor with so many other couples.

Erik refused to speak with her.

After a few moments of awkward silence, she tried again. "I am certain you are most handsome underneath that mask. No doubt that is why you do not want women to see you. They already want to take you so badly from Madame Duprey."

Her comment surprised him. "No other women have ever made such remarks Mademoiselle."

"Ah, but I know otherwise Monsieur Rosseau. Why, you could have any woman in this room!"

Erik frowned. The only woman he would ever want was Laurette. "I assure you, even if that was the case; Madame Duprey is my true heart and soul."

Carlotta gave that cackled laugh once more and he flinched as she held a finger to his cheek, gently tracing the contours of the colorful mask he wore for tonight's ball. "Perhaps you need to explore other opportunities. Over time, relationships can become old and something new is needed. Much like the renovation of this opera house." She glanced up at the ceiling. "I have to admit that it has certainly come to life."

"Sometimes old things can be made new again," Erik said curtly. He was thankful for a reason to change the subject. "This room took quite some time to bring back the original detail. The war of course at one time had ripped most of the beauty from this opera house."

Carlotta's eyes widened a bit so he continued. "I am relieved that much of it has been restored. It was not an easy feat to completely renovate it, including the catacombs down below."

"Down below?" echoed Carlotta nervously.

"Oh yes. You did know they used to keep torture chambers down there during the war? I have to wonder what all they found."

Carlotta hesitated. "Are you, that is, d-do you mean to say they found-,"

"Bodies? Oh heavens no, Mademoiselle." When she showed a look of relief upon her face, Erik smiled. "I am sure if anything, there were only bones found."

"I-I see," stammered Carlotta.

"Not to worry," Erik replied, "I am sure there is nothing down there now. Only mice and rats of course."

Carlotta swayed a bit unexpectedly and Erik chuckled. Perhaps this would be fun after all. He gave a small nod to Laurette who was staring at him as she danced with the mayor.

"I-if you will e-excuse me," said Carlotta as she suddenly stopped dancing and pulled away from him.

"Where are you going?"

"I-I need some water."

"Of course."

She hurried away. Done with his appearance, Erik smiled as he returned to Laurette's suite.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

"And we have selected a wonderful meal to go with the festivities! Oh and did I mention that Justine will be signing? Along with Joseph conducting of course."

Erik hid his smile as Mary rambled on to Laurette at the dinner table about the upcoming engagement party for Andre. They had been invited over to Paul's house for the evening.

"Well it is hard to believe the time is already upon us," remarked Laurette. "I am glad Andre has found someone and I will be anxious to meet her."

"Oh yes!" exclaimed Mary. "She is such a wonderful girl. And with no family alive of her own, I will be the one to take very good care of her."

"Andre will be taking care of her," reminded Paul.

"Oh please. Maybe in the sense of marriage but when it comes to everything else, she will be doted upon by me."

"And here I thought it was I who had been taking care of Laurette all along," teased Erik.

"Of course not! Maria is in your household."

Paul laughed and Erik was pleased to see the doctor's spirits returning once more. As the clock chimed, he glanced at Laurette who gave him a weak smile. "I believe it is time for us to take our leave," said Erik nodding at her.

Paul straightened in his chair. "Yes, it is rather late. We should all get some sleep before this rather large event tomorrow evening."

"Sleep? Who can sleep?" asked Mary.

Paul leaned over to Erik. "She is right. I will be up all night because of her."

"Oh hush," Mary quipped. "You are just as excited and you know it."

"Excited that it will soon be over."

Mary gave a scoff and reached out to smack her husband's shoulder.

"And to think I married a woman who I thought would be good at taking care of the injured. Instead, here she is hitting me!"

"Oh I think she does a fairly good job," said Erik winking at Mary.

Laurette smiled and stood up.

Only to sit immediately back down.

Or more likely almost fall down.

Erik was next to her within moments. "It is time to get you home." He helped her up only to realize that Paul and Mary were right next to him.

"I will come by tomorrow," said Paul with a concerned face.

Laurette shook her head. "I am just tired. Erik knows I become weaker in such a state. It is nothing."

"I still think that perhaps I-,"

"You should what?" asked Laurette looking directly at Paul. "Examine me for the hundredth time? Only to find there is nothing for you to do? All you do is tell me to rest."

"Which is what you should be doing," replied the doctor firmly.

Laurette rolled her eyes. "I have too much to do as director and owner of an Opera House!"

Paul frowned and gave Erik an annoyed look. On cue, Erik picked her up in his arms. Carrying her down the hall as she loudly protested, he set her down in the entry way to put on her heavy cloak.

"I am not a child."

"Then stop acting like one."

"I am not acting like a child! You are acting like an over protective father!"

"I am in no way like your father."

"How do you know? You never knew my real father."

"Neither did you."

"I can walk."

"Stop being so stubborn Laurette."

"Stop treating me as if I were an invalid."

"I am not the one who almost fell to the floor a moment ago."

"I got up too quickly."

"I hate to break this up," said Paul walking into the room. "But the carriage is ready."

"Right," said Erik and picked up Laurette who gave an exasperated sigh.

"Good to see you again Erik," said Paul smiling. "Good night Laurette. I will see you tomorrow when I stop by to check on you."

Laurette huffed and suddenly wiggled out of Erik's arms. Before he could snatch her up again she pushed him away. "I am perfectly fine to walk a few steps outside to a carriage!" She quickly went out the door.

He scowled in response while Paul shook his head. Catching up to her, Erik grabbed her by the arm. "You can at least lean on me."

"Oh in the name of-,"

"Maestro! Madame!"

They turned to be surprised by Justine and Julia crossing the street. Both were dressed quite lavishly and were smiling broadly.

"What are you doing here?" asked Laurette.

They grinned at each other. "We were just married!" exclaimed Julia.

"Without a ceremony?" asked Erik incredulously.

"Oh we had a priest," replied Justine. "But with Julia's father and all…we thought it best to quickly wed so he could no longer intrude."

"I see," said Erik trying to banish his thoughts that this was the last night of Julia's innocence.

"You do not approve?" asked Julia looking at him with worry.

Erik pushed aside his thoughts. "I have always said you have your own mind Julia. And I am pleased that you are making your own decisions."

"Not likely," said Justine grinning. "I will be making all her decisions as her husband now."

"Erik likes to pretend he makes all the decisions as well," said Laurette looking at Julia who laughed in response. "Our congratulations."

"Yes, well, we best be off," said Justine. "I do not want my wife to catch cold. There is a nice warm bed waiting for her at my new home."

Julia's face reddened a bit but Justine bent down and kissed her. It was clear to Erik that after that she forgot all about her embarrassment as she looked at Justine with love.

They said their goodbyes and Erik helped Laurette into the waiting carriage that was provided by Doctor Charette. None of his servants ever asked questions regarding him or his mask. Most likely they were used to seeing a number of disfigured patients as they attended to a doctor's household. He settled inside the carriage next to Laurette only to find himself continuing their earlier argument when he thought they would discuss Julia and Justine's news.

"Paul does not need to come by tomorrow," she said with a frown. "I am sure Mary would like him by her side."

"Exactly. He will need a break for a few moments of peace."

"Oh I see. Use my health for an excuse to be free of his wife. I should have known."

"I was teasing Laurette. Paul does need to check on you…," Erik paused and smiled, "As well as take a break from his wife."

"There is nothing new for him to find! He will take one look at me and notice I look tired."

"You do look tired."

"Oh thank you."

"Laurette, I do think you should be resting more. I allowed the visit to Raoul and Christine. Ever since our return I have not seen you take one day off."

"We enjoyed our evening tonight. That was not work."

"I meant as in staying in bed."

She frowned. "I am not staying in bed all day!"

"Perhaps I could persuade you."

Laurette smiled at him. "Then I would not be resting."

"You are right."

"I am always right."

"Sometimes," he murmured, leaning in close to her. "But I am willing to let you win this time. There would still be periods of rest."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I recall some nights that I did not get one wink of sleep."

He winced. "That was before we were married. When I was not used to having…,"

Laurette laughed. "A wife?"

"More than that."

"Ah yes. Now we have been married for a short while and the excitement has died down."

"Who says that?"

"You did. You said I would now have some rest if you kept me in bed all day."

Erik gave a mischievous smile. "Because I have more self control Laurette. Not because my lust for you has diminished."

She blushed and he kissed her lips.

But when they were back in her suite, he found that she could not sleep in bed. Despite her weakness, Laurette seemed to be restless as she tossed and turned in bed.

Erik reached out and massaged her neck and shoulders. He should have known better as within moments he became aroused at the softness of her skin. He made love to her slowly. He took his time kissing her mouth, her neck, and finally lavishing his lips on her breasts. His fingers trailed downward and he stroked her gently until he felt her shudder. Laurette cried out in protest as he had not yet joined them but he held her firmly as his fingers once more continued their exploration. When his mouth followed even further down to meet his fingers, she gasped and tried to move away. Then his mouth was upon her and Erik felt her body shudder once more. Her soft moans of delight only encouraged him to go further. When he lifted his head a while later, Laurette was too spent to move. Unable to deny his own needs any longer, he rose above her and took her in one stroke. Moments later he moaned in pleasure as his own body shuddered in release.

To Erik's delight, she slept late the following day. Once she finally joined him for a breakfast, he could not help but tease her.

"I believe the secret to getting you to stay in bed longer is making sure I linger in my explorations." He laughed as she blushed wildly.

"Madame Duprey," said Charles. "I have a letter that has just arrived for you."

Laurette opened the letter and frowned once she began reading.

"Who is it from?" asked Erik.

"La Carlotta."

He scowled in response. "What could that woman possibly want now?"

"To be invited to the engagement party this evening."

"Excuse me?"

"Apparently she is deeply insulted that so many have been invited to an event at the Opera House and she was not. She is certain I must have mistakenly overlooked her."

"Well I suppose she can write to Paul. After all, it is their event."

"Yes, but we are the host this evening. She will cause very bad publicity for us if we do not extend her an invitation."

Erik's eyes narrowed. "You are not serious."

"I know you loathe her but she is not someone to take lightly with her status as the mayor's wife. Besides, she will not be singing."

"Thank God for that," he muttered.

The day went quickly and soon evening was soon upon them. The guests were beginning to fill the ball room. Erik watched as Laurette finished her make up at her dressing room table and retrieve her mask for the masquerade. She saw him in the mirror and smiled. He knew she was in a good mood as Paul did not stop by to check on her. Mary most likely kept him busy the entire day. It was just as well since Erik did not want to see the smirk on Paul's face once he learned about Laurette inviting La Carlotta.

When he arrived at the ball room with Laurette on his arm, they were immediately greeted by Julia and Justine. Any fears about Justine being a gentleman with his innocent wife were gone as Erik saw she was positively glowing. Julia was absolutely radiant as she talked to them. He was slightly annoyed that Justine had such a large smile on his face that he swore his cheeks would split. Obviously the two of them had a most gratifying wedding night.

"Monsieur Rosseau!"

Erik turned to see Paul and Mary walking toward them. He kissed Mary's hand and congratulated both of them on Andre's engagement. Everyone knew he had to put on this formal act for the guests looking at him with curiosity about the man who kept to himself and was now married to Madame Duprey. Erik ignored most of their inquisitive stares.

"Have you been introduced to her?" asked Mary holding her mask away from her face.

"Who?"

"Why Andre's fiancé of course!"

Erik smiled. "We just arrived. But I am certain you will make the introduction. Where are they?"

Mary and Paul pointed them to a direction near the dance floor. Erik saw Andre smiling just as wide as Justine. He was surrounded by guests as he introduced his future wife. The girl was rather petite with brown hair. But he could not see her face as she was turned away from him.

Mary bustled through the crowd, bidding them to follow. Andre saw them and waved. He managed to break away while his fiancé lingered with the guests for a few moments longer.

"Maestro!" Andre exclaimed. "I do thank you for coming. Really, I must admit that I was not pleased to have such a rather large gathering but it has been most surprising. Many of my childhood friends are here so it has been quite wonderful."

"Of course," said Mary. "I certainly would only invite guests that I thought you would enjoy."

"Well almost," said Paul in a low voice so that only Erik could hear. He glared at Paul in return.

"If you think for a moment that I even wanted that spoiled soprano here tonight…,"

"Monsieur Rosseau and Madame Duprey, I would like for you to meet my future bride," said Andre with a smile. His fiancé had just ended her conversation and turned to join them as she politely lowered her hand held mask. "May I introduce Monique Bovie."

Erik focused his attention on the young woman and…completely froze.

_Oh God._

He knew her face.

It was the same face that held him as he wept when Laurette was with Monsieur Garier. It was her. The young prostitute that he gave a small taste of the real pleasure a man's touch could be. Both of them had been in pain and they comforted each other that one night. As he looked at her, Erik realized that despite a different mask he was wearing for the masquerade, her eyes widened with recognition. Horrified, he stood frozen like an idiot.

"It is so nice to finally meet you," said Laurette.

Andre nudged her.

"Oh…yes, thank you Madame. What an honor to meet…," she glanced at Erik again, "to meet such a talented director."

"Thank you."

There was silence for a moment and it was then Erik realized he was expected to say…something.

"Ah, have you seen any of the performances recently?" asked Laurette when it was clear Erik was going to remain silent.

"N-no Madame." She smiled at Andre. "But I am most eager to see a young tenor that I hear is quite good."

"Why have you not seen Andre perform yet?"

"The shows have all been sold out Madame."

"Andre!" said Laurette. "You know you needed only to ask and we could have let her use our box."

"I think perhaps he is a bit nervous to perform in front of her," teased Paul.

Andre laughed. "Never." He looked down at Monique. "Well maybe a little."

She gave a small laugh but it faded immediately when she looked at Erik again.

"Andre!" said another guest coming up to them. A crowd was beginning to appear around them. "You must introduce us."

"I suppose we should leave them to their audience," said Mary happily.

"Forgive us," said Andre politely as he nodded toward the others.

"Of course," said Laurette. "It was lovely to meet you Monique."

Erik managed to bow his head in farewell to her and led Laurette away to the dance floor. Thoughts were running through his head at a million miles a minute. Was this young call girl really Monique Bovie? Did Andre know about her past?

"She was very nice," said Laurette as they began to dance.

Erik nodded.

"You did not seem to like her."

He almost stopped dancing. "Why do you say that?" he asked trying to maintain an even tone in his voice. God, his nerves were shot.

"You did not say one word to her."

"What should I have said?"

"Hello for starters."

"My mind was just on other things Laurette." He wanted to get off this subject with her.

"We have been most anxious to meet her for a while now. I thought you would show more interest."

"_You_ have been anxious to meet her." He winced inwardly as he knew his tone was sharp.

"Excuse me?"

"I came tonight because of you."

Her eyes darkened. "For me."

"Yes. And come to think of it, I seem to allow you to do a lot of things. One of which was allowing that woman who calls herself a soprano to sing in our theater, not to mention inviting her tonight." Damn it, now he was actually picking a fight with her.

Laurette stopped dancing. "I see. Then perhaps I should just sign over the rest of the deed to you."

Oh good God, he had clearly not intended for this to go so far. "I just think that some of your decisions have been made in haste."

"Then you should have no problem in making all the decisions from now on!" Laurette snapped. She turned and strode off the dance floor disappearing into the crowd.

Erik cursed himself and felt immediate regret. Why the Hell did he do that? He knew exactly why. Seeing Andre's bride stirred strong emotions and he took it out on Luarette.

He turned in the direction she had fled. Walking quickly among the crowd, he searched everywhere for her. The room was so crowded that it was hard to make his way through. As another song started, a number of people turned to the dance floor and he ran right into a woman. He began to give a brief apology and looked down at her…only to find Monique Bovie standing in front of him.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Erik fell silent as he looked down at the young girl. With her hair pinned up in curls and wearing an elaborate pink satin gown, she looked quite elegant, a far cry from when he saw her that night long ago. Her brown eyes widened as she recognized him once more. Both of them stood awkwardly looking at each other and glancing away, unsure of what to say.

The girl finally drew a breath. "I want to thank you for, well, for not…saying anything," she said so softly that Erik had to lean forward to listen.

He only gave a slight nod in response. Images of this girl in bed with him were filling his mind. He remembered the feel of her soft skin as she held him and her beautiful breasts that reminded him so much of Laurette that evening.

She glanced around with almost an expression of guilt as if the crowd suddenly knew what she had been. But then her eyes stared beyond him. "It is her," she said nodding in that direction before turning her eyes back to him. "Madame Duprey was the woman you missed so badly that night. I had heard of Monsieur Garier keeping her away from the opera house when she was forced to become the main soprano."

Erik was relieved to turn and find Laurette on the other side of the room. She was talking with Justine and Julia. He turned back to the girl and hesitated for a moment.

"She is now my wife," he said softly, speaking to her for the first time.

She gave what he thought was a genuine smile before turning away from his gaze with embarrassment of the situation. He thought for a moment and then he leaned down. "Would you care for a dance?" he asked as he extended his hand.

She blushed and smiled even wider. "Y-yes, t-thank you," she managed to stammer.

He bowed his head to her and she accepted his hand. Leading her to the dance floor, Erik glanced at Laurette once more who was now looking at him. For a moment he was worried but then she nodded in what appeared to be gratitude. Of course it would make sense that she thought he was giving a dance to Andre's fiancé to make a point of apology to her for how he was acting. Although that had not been the intent, Erik was relieved that he pleased Laurette in his actions…and yet guilt stabbed at him when he held such a secret.

Erik shook his head to himself. It was not as if he actually did anything with this girl. He never kissed her. And while he did share quite an intimate moment with her, it was not love but rather two lost souls seeking compassion. Even now as he danced with her, Erik knew he only loved Laurette.

"So," began Erik clearing his throat as he pushed his thoughts aside, "Are you truly Monique Bovie?"

She smiled. "Are you truly Monsieur Rosseau?"

"Point taken," he replied dryly as he obviously did not want to go into detail about his own identity in trade. "Does Andre know?"

"About…n-no, he does not. I actually _am_ Monique Bovie Monsieur."

Erik knew his eyes widened a bit in disbelief.

"Really, Monsieur, it is true," she said when it was obvious he did not believe her.

Erik tilted his head as they danced. "Then why-,"

"I really had no idea who I was!" she suddenly exclaimed. "I remember very little. I did know there was a fire and my family was gone. I remember escaping the fire and then…," Monique choked for a moment with emotion. "A man saw me in the street crying and promised to take care of me. I never returned to my home again. He brought me here to Paris where I was a servant to him. I was grateful to have a roof over my head. But he began to drink heavily after his wife died. He needed money so he…he sold me to-,"

"The man who owned you on the streets," finished Erik with a low voice.

"It was you, was it not?"

"What do you mean?"

"I woke up that morning and you were gone. You had left me a considerable amount of money. I thought for sure he was going to give me a beating and take all of it. But instead I found out he was…dead. It was you who saved me."

Erik did not answer.

"The money you gave me helped me to get off the streets. But I still needed more so I could begin my own business. I was going to rent a place so I could be a seamstress."

"And you still had the locket your parents had given you," he said remembering the story Mary had told.

"Yes, I had hid it for years. But when I went to sell it, the owner of the pawn shop demanded to know where I had gotten it. The police came and everyone realized I was the girl in the picture held within the locket. When they said my name, I remembered who I was."

He nodded. "I am truly relieved to know that…you are now alright."

"Thanks to you."

Erik did not respond to her comment. "Congratulations on your engagement with Andre. I know he will take very good care of you."

"Thank you," Monique said shyly. "You…you will not say anything to him…will you?"

"No," he replied.

The look upon her face was immediate with relief. "Thank you Monsieur. I-I am so ashamed of my past. No one has recognized me but when I saw you…," she stopped as tears filled her eyes and she looked down.

The dance had come to an end by this time. Erik reached out and lifted her chin. She slowly raised her eyes to him. "You must hold your head up high Monique. You are an elegant young woman quite worthy of the finer things in life. Do not ever be ashamed of what life brought you. It is who we are and how we become strong."

She responded with a look of gratitude. "You taught me that a man could be…gentle. I would never have wanted another man to touch me again if it was not for you." Monique blushed wildly after saying this and Erik laughed softly.

"I am pleased."

She smiled and turned to make her way to Andre who was beckoning her.

"And Monique…,"

She turned back to him. "Yes?"

"I am happy that you found love."

She nodded still smiling. "As I am with you," she said before turning again to join Andre.

Erik found the tension he was feeling now gone. She would keep their intimate moment safe and both understood the love they had for someone else. Andre was receiving a most worthy young woman.

As he walked away from the dance floor he looked for Laurette but she was no where to be seen. Frowning, Erik made his way to one of the exits. One of the servants told him that she had retired to the dining room so he went in search of her.

He found Laurette talking with Mary and Paul at the table with Maria happily serving wine. Erik was pleased as this was a good opportunity to take a break from the gala and focus on Laurette. He had quite a bit to make up for.

Laurette was about to take a sip of wine when Charles exploded into the room. "Do not!" he exclaimed as he grabbed the wine glass that had just touched her lips.

"What on earth…?" she asked, her face clearly surprised.

"I am sorry Mademoiselle…this glass is…not clean."

Erik walked over to stand next to her, his eyes narrowing at Charles for such inappropriate behavior. Laurette's eyes also darkened.

"Really Charles, I hardly think such a thing would matter. I do not understand-,"

And then to Erik's horror, she began to choke and doubled over in pain. As he reached for her, she attempted to hold onto the table but collapsed on the floor. Paul was there in an instant, feeling her head and stomach. Erik swept her up into his arms and headed for the bedroom. He knew immediately she was going to be sick as she was crying and attempting to slip from his grasp. The moment he set her down on the bed she vomited. Maria quickly appeared and began to strip the sheets. Mary brought a cool cloth to wash her face which now appeared a ghostly white.

"Monsieur," said Charles from the doorway. "I must speak with you."

"Then speak," muttered Erik as he tried to comfort Laurette by stroking her hair.

"I would ask to speak with you…in private."

He glared at Charles. "This is not the time."

"_Please_ Monsieur."

Erik cursed. Kissing Laurette's forehead, he nodded at Paul who was already examining every inch of her. When he was outside the bedroom, Charles looked nervously at him.

"Well?" he demanded. If he had known Charles would act in such a manner he certainly would have thought twice about helping him with a certain murder.

"I am sorry Monsieur. But…I need to tell you that La Carlotta was in the dining room earlier."

"What?"

"She was in the dining room-,"

"I heard you," replied Erik in a low tone. "She was alone?"

"Yes, Monsieur."

"Although you know quite well that I detest the woman, I do not see what this has to do with Laurette."

"When she was leaving the room, I…I saw her slip a tiny bottle back into her purse."

Erik stared at him for a moment. "Are you saying…?"

Charles took a deep breath. "Yes, Monsieur."

Erik stiffened in response and walked briskly past Charles into the dining room. He spotted the wine glass that Charles had removed and placed on a nearby table. Erik picked it up and looked closely. A very fine speckle of powder was around the rim. He touched it with his forefinger and brought it to his tongue.

Poison.

A fury engulfed Erik so badly that he threw the wine glass against the wall causing it to shatter. The red wine splattered onto the floor and Charles immediately ran over to begin wiping it clean with a cloth.

"Leave it," hissed Erik.

As Charles stood up, Erik saw that Paul had left his bag. He walked over and opened it. Sorting through the various medications he finally found one to his satisfaction. Grabbing another wine glass, Erik poured another full glass of wine. He took the bottle and sprinkled some of its contents into the glass. Erik turned and gave it to Charles.

"It is time to pay what you owe me."

Charles did not hesitate and bowed. "Yes, Monsieur."

Within moments Erik had returned to the ball. Searching the crowd he found what he was looking for and made his way to the other side of the room. La Carlotta was leaning against a wall in an elaborate blue dress with a train of ruffles. She smiled when she saw him.

"Why Monsieur Rosseau, how wonderful it is to see you!"

"The pleasure is mine," said Erik smoothly. She held out her hand to him. He gently took her hand and gave it a soft kiss, making sure his lips lingered on her skin. Looking up at her, he saw the exact reaction he wanted as she drank in his attention. She gave a rather fake laugh and withdrew her hand.

"Where is Madame Duprey?"

"She has fallen ill."

Carlotta gave a smirk. "How awful. I hear she is sick quite often."

Erik looked directly into her eyes. "Yes. It can be…quite tedious at times."

She gave a seductive smile. "I am certain that such an intelligent gentleman as you would need more, shall we say, stimulating company at times."

"You have read my mind," murmured Erik. "Tell me, where is your husband?"

She scoffed and motioned to a secluded corner across the room where a group of men were laughing. "With his politicians and advisors of course. Oh I know they were not invited, but he has the ability to ensure they are with him at all events that he attends."

"And he leaves you all alone," said Erik in a sympathetic tone.

She sighed. "Yes."

"Perhaps an elegant, talented woman such as you needs the proper attention she deserves."

Carlotta's eyes brightened and she smiled. "Yes, I believe I do."

He bowed to her. "Dance with me."

She hesitated. "Should you not be checking on Madame Duprey? I think she is most likely very ill."

"And how would you know such a thing?" asked Erik trying not to glare at her.

"Oh I just heard…I was passing by that butler of yours and I overheard him," she said with another smirk that gave away her lie.

Erik smiled coldly at her. "I must remember to hire better servants, perhaps someone that does not speak so freely of private matters." He reached out and took her hand. "I believe she is ill enough that she will not return to the ball. Nor will she know…that I am enjoying myself none the less."

"Yes," she said squeezing his hand. "I should love to have a dance with you."

Erik led her to the dance floor and was pleased to find the musicians playing a rather upbeat, fast-paced song. As they danced, he held her closely and she gave no resistance as she practically purred while running her fingers up the back of his neck into his hair. Under normal circumstances, he would have ripped her hand from his head and flung her across the room.

But instead he smiled at her.

When the song ended, both were breathless from such quick paced dancing and he steered her over to a private corner. "I believe," she said placing a hand on his chest, "That I need a drink."

Within moments Charles appeared with a tray of wine glasses. Only one was full.

"Oh my," Carlotta said reaching for the glass. "Only one left…I must say that I do need it." And she quickly began to drink.

Erik glanced to the side and saw her husband still absorbed in conversation. He watched as she paused in drinking and he moved closer to her. "Perhaps we can continue our conversation…in private," he said with a soft voice.

"Oh yes," she breathed, "I think that is a wonderful idea."

Taking her hand, Erik led her quickly along side the wall so they could slip out the entrance unnoticed. He brought her to the Music Room where she went to a wall and faced him with a coy smile. "Now that we can speak openly," she said with a gleam in her eyes, "I think you could do much better than a sickly woman who pretends to direct Opera."

"Really?" asked Erik, his eyes now narrowing. He came close to her, his body intimately pressing against hers with her back to the wall.

She laughed. "I am not certain how you have managed to be with her as long as you have. There are many other women who you could easily have."

"And why is that?"

"Rumor has it there are those long ago who knew about your stunning good looks during your youth…even though you hid from most everyone." She traced a fingertip around the corner of his mouth.

"Perhaps I hid as I was tired of the interest so many gave me."

"I can imagine. And now that we are alone, I should very much like to see my entire prize."

Erik gave a faint smile. "I believe that can be arranged." He looked down at the glass she held with her other hand in between them. "I believe you need to finish your wine."

She laughed. "There are other things I would much rather taste."

"I am sure," he murmured. "But you should not waste such a fine treasure. I know Madame Duprey spent a considerable amount to have only the best." He forced himself to look intently at her mouth. "And I think you are only worthy of the finest."

She smiled seductively at him and lifted the glass to her lips. Erik felt excitement sweep through him as she tilted the glass back and drank the last of the ruby red liquid. She threw the glass aside and took his face in her hands, pulling him down to her. Erik resisted for a moment, but when he saw her eyes widen with question, he bent further down and began to kiss her neck. She leaned her head back and a soft moan escaped from her lips.

"Let me see your face," she whispered.

"All good things in time," he replied in between kisses.

And then he felt it begin to happen as she began to stiffen, her hands now embracing the back of his head with a sudden force. He began to kiss her neck even more passionately while she began to gasp for air. Erik pulled away from her, smiling in satisfaction as she clutched her chest and throat. He quickly loosened the ties of his mask and removed it.

She made a strangled sound of horror.

"What is the matter Mademoiselle?" he asked. "Do you not wish to taste what caused so many to have an interest in me?"

She clutched her chest even harder, gasping for air.

"Know this," he said bending down close to her ear, "Laurette is under my protection." He looked into her eyes. "And you will be fed to the rats below for your actions against her."

Carlotta gave one last gasp with her eyes widening and then slowly slid down the wall until her lifeless body crumpled to the floor. He stepped back and returned the mask to his face.

It was then Erik realized he was actually trembling. Not because of the horror in the act he committed. No, instead it had made him feel exhilarated, strong, and in complete power. And he wanted more of that feeling…

He loathed himself.

But Erik could not resist. Leaving the body to be found by the servants, he returned to Laurette's suite where he found her in bed alone. Although still weak, she had recovered and gave him a smile. Locking the bedroom door behind him, Erik undressed and went into her welcoming arms.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

"You look much better," said Erik sitting down next to Laurette at the dining room table.

It was now late morning and he glanced at Maria as she hustled to bring him coffee. He would tell her to get some rest after last night but he could already see the look of determination on her face to make sure all was back in order. Most likely she would be happily cleaning the rest of the day.

"I feel much better," admitted Laurette with a smile. "I was worried at first that I had caught a stomach flu."

"That would be very serious. I am not certain I would be talking to you this morning alive if you were to catch something of that nature with your precarious health."

"Well apparently it was not," she said brightly. "Something I most likely ate."

"Or drank," muttered Erik.

"What?"

"Nothing. You are right. It was something you most likely needed to get out of your system."

Laurette flushed. "I hate it when you see me…in such a state."

He stared at her and then laughed. "Oh please. I hardly think seeing you in such a state as you call it would make me think less of you. Besides," he said as he sipped his coffee, "I can assure you that I have seen by far more disturbing things in my lifetime."

She looked down at her plate full of food for a moment. "We have never discussed such a thing with your past have we?"

"Nor would I want to," he replied. "Now eat."

She sighed and poked at her ham.

"It is already dead. Stabbing it will not bring it the torture you seek."

Laurette laughed. "Stop it."

He gave her a smile but it quickly faded as Charles brought in another tray of food. Erik had talked with him in private this morning and was assured that Carlotta was found to have died of a heart attack. Paul had been called to the room by the police and he confirmed that it was of natural causes.

Which was true. Or at least the heart attack. Erik had chosen the overdose of medicine most carefully to ensure that no one would suspect murder. And the police could find no witnesses other than Charles who gave a story that she had asked him for a private room to rest as she was tired only to discover she had died when another servant found her.

However, Laurette did not yet know. He was still trying to think of a way to tell her as he did not want her to suspect that it was him. She knew he loathed Carlotta. Perhaps Charles could stage a scene telling the news to both of them since Erik had also retired early last night.

His thoughts were interrupted by Justine making an entrance. "Good morning!" he said in a cheery voice. He went over and kissed Laurette on the cheek.

She smiled. "And to what do we owe this pleasure?"

He sat down and began to pile food on a plate. "I thought we could discuss my return to the Opera Populaire of course."

"I thought you were going to sing at Christine and Raoul's new opera house," said Erik.

Justine took two large helpings of ham for his plate. "I never signed a contract."

"I thought you wanted to travel."

"Now that I am married I cannot do that."

"Why not?"

"Because," said Justine as he threw a large serving of eggs on his plate, "I want her to be happy and she so badly wants to make a home." He licked his fingers as he began to eat. "And quite frankly, I rather enjoy having a wife make such a home for me," he said with a grin.

"Then she should be able to feed you," muttered Erik.

"Well she is usually tired in the morning as I do tend to keep her awake most of the night."

Erik narrowed his eyes. "Once again you have proven your talent for words Justine."

"Well she is now quite aware of my other talents."

Erik grimaced and Laurette covered her smile with her hand.

"Besides," Justine continued, "I would think both of you need my talent to override the publicity of last night."

"Andre does not give us bad publicity," said Laurette.

"No, I mean Carlotta."

Erik stiffened.

"What do you mean?"

Justine swallowed another mouthful of eggs. "Well with her death and all, I am sure you would like for people to focus on other things that happen at the Opera Populaire."

_Damn it. _Erik glared at Justine.

"What did you say?" whispered Laurette, her eyes now wide.

"Carlotta…she died last night. What? You did not know?"

Erik remained silent. If he were a better actor he would react with surprise. But somehow he knew Laurette would not believe him.

"N-no," she said softly. "I did not."

"Oh," said Justine as if he now just realized he had said something wrong. He glanced at Erik. "Maestro, you knew, right?"

Silence.

"How did she die?" asked Laurette.

"Heart attack."

"She had a heart attack in front of everyone?"

"Well…no."

Laurette stared at her plate. "Where?"

"Madame, I am not certain that you need to know. I mean, I am not sure I would want to know the exact spot someone died in my home."

She glared at him in response. _"Where?"_

Hearing the demand in her voice, Justine straightened in his chair. "The Music Room."

Erik heard her suck in her breath.

"Leave us Justine."

"Madame?"

"Get. Out."

Maria had stopped in her tracks and Charles dropped his eyes to the floor. But Justine in his usual brash manner did not help.

"Really, I do not see why you would be so upset. I mean, even the Maestro said that a howling cat could sing better than her."

_"Out!" _Laurette shouted as she stood up. She glared at Charles and Maria. _"All of you!"_

Erik winced at her tone but remained silent as the others hurried out of the room. She slowly sank back down in her chair but did not look at him.

"How could you?" she whispered.

He clenched his jaw.

"I should have known," she said softly. She stood back up and was about to flee when he roughly grabbed her arm. She tried to pull away but he held her firmly in place.

"She was the reason you were ill last night," he said in a low voice.

"What?"

He turned his head and looked up at her. "It was Carlotta."

She put her free hand to her mouth when a flicker of realization came to her eyes. "The wine glass that Charles took from me," she whispered.

"Yes."

Laurette closed her eyes. "I still do not condone any action that seeks revenge, even one…that could have meant my death," she said in a soft but fierce voice.

"And I cannot forgive any such action that would take my wife from me."

She wrenched her arm away. "And what about after her death last night?"

His eyes narrowed. "What of it?"

"You do not even know do you?" she said with her voice on the verge of tears. "You came to me. Last night."

Erik turned his head away from her.

"It…what you did…excited you," she said in a strangled tone. "Do you deny it?"

He closed his eyes. "No."

She backed away. "Who did I marry then?"

He stood up and looked down at her. "You married a man who will do anything to protect those he loves."

Laurette looked at him with anger in her eyes. "Then when death does take me, your soul will never be with mine."

"You think I do not already know this?" he asked in a loud voice. "My only time with you is in this lifetime. And I do not intend to have anyone take that from me!"

She was crying now, the tears streaming down her face. "Even at the cost of your soul?" she whispered.

"My soul was destined to burn in Hell long before I met you."

She fled the room.

Erik cursed and went after her but Charles suddenly appeared. "There is a Monsieur Girard here to see Madame."

"Who?" asked Erik with annoyance. They did not need any visitors this morning, especially with how things were going.

"From what I understand he is a composer," said Charles. "He says he gave Madame some of his work last night and is here to discuss her offer."

_How nice of her to discuss such a thing with me, _thought Erik. He realized most likely she did not have the chance but he used any thought he could against her at the moment.

"Shall I tell Madame? He is in the Music Room."

"I will tell her," replied Erik already starting down the hall to the bedroom. He found her sitting on the bed, a look of misery on her face. But instead of comforting her he simply looked at her. "Your composer is here."

She looked up at him. "What?"

"The composer you met last night," he said in low tone.

"Oh…yes," she breathed while wiping tears from her face. "I had almost forgotten. There is an opera that I am very interested in buying. He is quite an emerging talented, composer."

_I have little doubt that I am by far better, _huffed Erik in his mind. "Well after he met with you last night he apparently is interested in discussing your offer."

"Well, I did not actually meet him. He was not invited. But he had a servant deliver the music to me."

"How convenient."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I see you do not approve once more of me making any decisions."

"I am the other owner of this Opera House. You should discuss such decisions with me."

"Oh?" she asked suddenly getting to her feet, "Like how you involved me in your decision last night? Oh wait, you just went ahead without telling me. I think your act does not even compare to mine!"

Erik bowed his head with obvious sarcasm. "Your new composer awaits Madame," he said gesturing to the door.

She was about to leave but stopped herself. "Fine…since…since you feel that you are being left out in decisions, this is the offer that I plan to give him," she said and took out a contract that she held to him.

Erik glanced at it, not taking it from her. "That is more than generous. You must want this Opera very badly."

Her face softened. "I really love the story," she said quietly. "I actually had planned for it to be a surprise and was hoping you would work with me on adapting it to our Company's talents."

Erik sighed. Her voice became so sweet when she began to talk of music it was hard to resist. "Then you should offer whatever he wants. Whatever…it takes to make you happy Laurette. That is all I have ever wanted."

"I know Erik," she said quietly. "But that does not mean…that I can…forgive your actions."

An awkward silence followed.

"I am sorry Laurette…for upsetting you."

"But you are not sorry for what you have done."

"No," he replied truthfully.

The sadness on her face made him feel like he would do anything to take away her pain. "Really…Laurette, you should offer whatever it takes as you love this piece of music so much."

Her face softened. "And will you help me prepare it for the Company?"

"Of course."

She nodded. "I am still sticking to my offer. It is more than fair."

"He may want to negotiate."

"I will not negotiate." She began to walk past him and he touched her arm lightly. She looked up at him and he could sense that she tried to give him an expression that meant all was fine, but he knew it was not.

When she left, he made his way down the secret passageway to the Music Room. Charles was already entering the room with Laurette. The man in the room was dressed very fine complete with top hat. He was in the one area of the room that allowed Erik to only see his back. He was studying one of the paintings on the wall when Charles began to announce Laurette's presence. Upon turning around, the man swept off his hat and bowed to her.

A look of surprise came over her face.

As he stood up smiling at her, Erik understood why. This was a _young_ composer, perhaps close to Laurette's own age. Most composers were much older before their compositions reached success. Some never even able to enjoy the fame as pieces became known only after they had died. But this man was far from dying.

He had a head full of thick black hair and broad shoulders. Erik frowned as he also noticed the man had blue eyes…just like Laurette.

"Madame Duprey," he said in a most elegant voice, "It is an honor to finally meet you."

"Yes," replied Laurette still taken aback by his appearance, "I mean, it is an honor to meet you as well."

Charles came forward and took his hat. Monsieur Girard thanked him and placed his hand behind his back, the perfect picture of a gentleman.

"You are surprised by my age are you not?"

"Yes…I expected…,"

"An old man?" he asked with a wink.

She gave a slight laugh. "Forgive me, but yes."

He shrugged. "Everyone does. I am most grateful that my work has been successful while still young." He tilted his head at her. "And I must admit that I expected you to be older as well. I have heard from many that you are not only a talented director but also a beautiful woman. They neglected to tell me that you are also fairly young."

Erik narrowed his eyes.

"I am not that young Monsieur," said Laurette.

"Perhaps not a young girl, no, but you are still a very young lady for all that you have accomplished. It would be a privilege for my work to be performed in this Opera House with you as the director."

Laurette straightened. "I am prepared to give you a very fair offer."

Monsieur Girard cocked an eyebrow. "I am glad to hear that. But you may find that I have been successful in my career as I also know how to negotiate."

"I will not negotiate."

"No?" He looked amused.

"Money is only part of what you seek," she said. "With your work performed here at the Opera Populaire, it will only enhance your career further. You know as well as I that by using this Opera House it would assist you in releasing even more of your works around the world."

The look of amusement did not leave his face. "Indeed."

"Then you shall review my offer?" she asked holding out the contract.

He very slowly took a few steps toward her and accepted the papers from her hand. His eyes continued to linger on her face as he unfolded it. He finally looked down and reviewed the contents, his face never giving away any hint of response.

Erik could tell Laurette was growing annoyed at his confidence. "Well Monsieur?"

He looked up and smiled. "As you said, it is a more than generous offer," he replied handing the contract back to her.

"So you will accept?"

"I should very much like to accept."

She smiled. "Very good. I-,"

"On one condition," he interrupted.

Laurette frowned. "A condition Monsieur? Or a negotiation?"

He chuckled. "Perhaps a bit of both."

"Yes?"

"There will be a ball afterwards?"

"After the Opening Night of the performance? We can have one if you wish."

"For what I require, yes."

Laurette looked at him thoughtfully. "Are you looking for more of your work to be performed at such an event? That would certainly give you the opportunity for the audience to listen to more of your music."

"Yes, it would. But that is not the reason."

There was a moment of silence when he did not elaborate further. As if he was playing a game waiting for her to ask the question.

She sighed. "What is your condition Monsieur?"

"A dance."

"A dance?"

Still smiling, he nodded.

"Are you…," Laurette hesitated. "Do you mean-,"

"A dance with you," Monsieur Girard finished for her.

Erik was now glaring at the man.

Laurette took a few steps back to gain some space between them. "You do know or have heard that I am married."

"Yes, I have heard. This is also why the ball must not be a masquerade. As your husband, he can no longer hide if he truly loves you Madame."

"What does that have to do with a dance with me?"

"Because," he said stepping closer to her, "I think a woman that is truly loved should have a man that would do anything for her."

_How little you know, _thought Erik. He was most eager to prove it again with this man.

"I am…sorry," said Laurette quietly. "I cannot accept that condition."

"Very well. It was nice meeting you."

To her shock he turned and began to walk toward the door. Laurette hesitated and then stepped after him. "Do you mean to tell me that you will give up such an opportunity for your opera to be performed here due to my refusal for a dance?"

Monsieur Girard stopped and slowly turned. "That is my condition," he said.

Erik frowned as he saw that she was now flustered, suddenly considering his request. "Just…a dance?" she asked softly.

"Yes."

"Nothing more?"

He paused for a moment while looking at her. "If that is all you wish."

"Only one dance."

He nodded in acknowledgement.

Laurette bit her lip. "Very well."

Monsieur Girard smiled and came forward. "Thank you Mademoiselle," he said and reached down to kiss her hand. "I will come by in a few weeks time to check on the Company's progress." He bowed to her and left the room.

Erik emerged from behind her. "I thought you said you were not going to negotiate," he said quietly.

He could see her shoulders tense. "It is just…a dance."

"Not to him."

Laurette sharply turned her head at him as if to say something but changed her mind. Instead she brushed past him and left the Music Room leaving Erik standing once more alone in the solitude he knew so well.


	36. Chapter 36

_Author's note: The end of this story is approaching. I expect only one or two more chapters at the most after this. _

**Chapter 36**

Over the next few weeks Erik kept his promise in working with Laurette on the new production. Despite this, he was still feeling wounded by the fact that she had accepted a dance with Monsieur Girard. He considered for a moment that if the man insisted on not having a masquerade, perhaps he should just make an appearance regardless.

At least he would scare the hell out of Monsieur Girard.

He sighed in his thoughts as he looked at the sheet music before him. He was sitting in the theater as Laurette stood quite a distance from him talking to Joseph about the score.

"I still cannot believe you did not choose me for the main role."

Erik looked up to find Justine standing over him. "You can discuss that issue with Madame Duprey. It was her choice to have Andre in the lead role."

"Well that makes it even worse. Here I thought that decision came from Monsieur Girard."

Erik stiffened in response. "Excuse me?"

Justine dropped into the chair next to him. "I saw him leaving the other night when I was walking out."

"Which night?"

Justine rolled his eyes. "I cannot remember. It was the other night. I have been too angry the last few days ever since it was announced that Andre had my part in this opera."

Erik ignored him and swiftly got out of his seat. Striding over to Laurette he took her arm and pulled her to the side. She winced slightly and glared at him.

"What?" she demanded.

"You failed to tell me that Monsieur Girard was here the other night."

"He dropped off a few revisions that was all."

"And to provide his own expert advice as well."

She frowned. "The only suggestions he made were ideas you and I had already discussed. There was nothing you did not already know."

"I see."

"Why are you being this way?" Laurette asked as she jerked her arm away from his grip.

Erik's eyes narrowed. "You are _not_ to see him without me knowing. Are we clear on that issue?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Of course…_Maestro."_

"Fine then," replied Erik in a low tone. "Justine would like to speak with you."

"Oh for heaven's sake. Is he still sore that we gave the lead role to Andre?"

"_We_ did not make that choice. _You_ did."

Erik abruptly turned and strode out of the theater. Upon reaching the library he sank into one of his favorite chairs by the fireplace. What the hell was he so angry about anyway? Maybe Laurette was better off with this Monsieur Girard. Marriages were dissolved all the time. Either that or the husband found another mistress to please him.

_Well that would be an unlikely scenario with this face,_ he thought bitterly. No woman would want to be his mistress. And damn it, why was he thinking like this anyway? He did not _want_ any other woman. He wanted Laurette. She could make him insanely jealous in a heartbeat. He placed his head in his hands. God how attached he had become to her! He used to need no one. But now the very thought of her being with anyone else or dying from illness made him feel as if a knife was put through his chest.

Something felt suddenly wrong. Erik looked up and found two eyes watching him behind the opposite chair. It was so unexpected he almost jumped. But he frowned.

"Phillipe, come out," said Erik with exasperation.

Phillipe glanced nervously around and then slowly emerged.

"What are you doing hiding in here?"

"DAMN IT!" yelled a voice from the dining room. Phillipe immediately shrunk back into his hiding place. "YOU HAD BETTER BE IN- Oh! Maestro!" exclaimed Maurice as he appeared in the doorway.

"And just why are you not down in the theater?" asked Erik annoyed at this interruption.

"I-oh, yes. I-I will be going." He paused. "Y-you have not see my brother have you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"He, well…he was being…,"

"Out with it Maurice!" snapped Erik.

"Fine! I caught him peeping through a hole looking into the dressing rooms!"

Erik's eyes narrowed but he did not glance in the direction Phillipe was hiding. "I see. Please make sure to repair the wall."

"It was hidden," muttered Maurice. "I suspect it was put there by Justine." When he heard Erik curse, he suddenly straightened. "I do not mean…recently Maestro. I-I think it was there for some time. Far before the time he was with Julia."

"I do not care. Just fix it," said Erik in a low voice.

"Y-yes Maestro," replied Maurice quickly turning away.

Erik glared at the chair across from him. "Well?" he demanded to the hidden Phillipe.

With his face now bright red, Phillipe slowly came out of hiding.

"Were you watching the dancers undress?"

He nodded and Erik frowned. But Phillipe pulled a pad out of his pocket and scribbled on it, then handed it to him.

_I truly did not know it was there. I was moving a painting off the wall._

"And I am to believe this?" asked Erik.

Phillipe nodded and scribbled some more.

_I am sorry. I could not help but take more than a glance when I saw what it was. _He blushed wildly flashing a smile.

Erik could not help himself and smiled back. "What can I say Phillpe? I am not certain myself or any man could resist a glance. But that does not mean it is acceptable. Now go on and help Maurice repair the wall."

He nodded and ran…right into Laurette.

"Oh! Excuse me Phillipe," she said looking down at him. "What are you doing here?"

"He was just discussing some of the backgrounds with me," interrupted Erik. "Go on Phillipe, I will see you later." After he had gone, Maria walked in to let them know dinner was ready for the evening. Gautier had already dismissed the Company and so they both went to the dining room.

But the strain of their relationship was becoming apparent as neither spoke hardly a word during the entire meal. Once Maria began clearing the table, Laurette sat down in the library to work more on Monsieur Girard's Opera while Erik began to work on his own music. Sitting in front of the fire with both of them in separate chairs, he began to wonder if this tension would ever end.

A knock at the door had them both standing as Charles brought Julia and Justine in the room. "We are sorry for bothering you both this evening," said Julia looking nervous.

"It is fine," replied Erik grateful the break in the silence. "Is there something wrong?"

"Well…no," she said while she wrung her hands.

"Oh just tell them," said Justine.

"What is so important?" asked Laurette. "Justine, please tell me you did not talk Julia out of performing because we did not give you the lead role."

He grinned. "That is not a bad idea, but no."

"I-I will not be able to perform in a few months," said Julia still looking nervously at Erik.

"And why is that?" asked Laurette.

"Well, I-,"

"She is with child," blurted out Justine proudly.

Julia swatted him and Erik actually laughed softly. "And this is a surprise?" He smiled at her. "We knew you would not wait."

She blushed. "T-then you, I mean, it is alright with you?"

"It is not for him to decide," smirked Justine. "It is already done."

Erik shook his head and came forward. "Julia, this is what you have always wanted. I have always understood that." She smiled and gave him a hug in gratitude.

"Congratulations," said Laurette giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"What? Do I not get anything?" asked Justine smiling.

Erik frowned. "It is easy to imagine Julia being a mother. It is quite different however, imagining you as a father. In fact, the very thought is not one I should like to dwell on."

Justine was about to respond with some snide remark but Maria, who had been standing nearby, burst into tears. Charles immediately came over and began to pull her out of the room.

"Maria," asked Erik with concern, "What is wrong?"

"She is fine, Monsieur," said Charles.

"Oh I am so sorry," cried Julia, "Is it because we did not tell you first? How rude of me! Can you forgive me?"

"No!" exclaimed Maria sharply. When Julia paled, she shook her head wiping away the tears. "I mean no, it is not because of you telling the Maestro and Madame. I am…I am just so…so-,"

"Happy," finished Justine with a smile.

Maria burst into tears again nodding.

Erik had no idea what to do as he had not seen Maria in such a state. He looked at Charles who had been trying to get her to leave which was obviously not working. He looked back at Erik, shrugged in defeat, and then wrapped his arms around her for the first time in front of everyone. Maria gave into his embrace and finally calmed down.

"I-I am so-so sorry, Maestro. I-I just never thought-,"

"That Justine would actually settle down and have a family?" asked Erik. "I completely sympathize with you Maria. I never would have thought that he would _finally_ be unavailable."

"Oh I will be available," said Justine. He looked at Julia. "Not to women of course. But I plan to continue my career, even if Madame does only make me secondary in her Company."

Laurette shook her head. "Justine, we have talked about this. Andre needs this opportunity. Now that you are back, it is he who is thinking of moving away with Monique to start his own family. He needs the publicity to get a job elsewhere. That is the only reason."

"He could just sign a contract with the Count de Chaney," huffed Justine.

"He does not want to. He is hoping for something even further away. You know this."

"I do not see why he has to move away from his closest friend," he said with a bitter voice.

"Justine, it has nothing to do with your friendship. He wants to make his own name now, especially as he will have a young wife."

"Everything is changing it seems," Julia said softly.

"All things change," Erik replied remembering those same words Laurette had once told him. "It is what makes us learn and become stronger." After he said this, he saw Laurette look at him with what he thought was with a flicker of surprise in her face.

"It is time I get my wife home to rest," announced Justine already pulling Julia's hood over her head from her cloak.

Julia rolled her eyes but smiled at him.

Maria began crying again as Justine embraced her to say good night. After he and Julia had left, Charles kept his arm around her and looked at Erik. "Is there anything else needed from us tonight Monsieur?"

"No, of course not," said Erik returning to his chair in front of the fire. "Take Maria to bed."

Charles smiled in gratitude and disappeared with his wife down the hall.

Laurette came over and sat down in the opposite chair. She looked at him with what appeared to be a soft expression and was about to speak when Charles suddenly came back into the room.

"A letter just arrived for you Mademoiselle," he said handing the envelope to Laurette. "I was told by the courier that it is urgent and to give it to you immediately."

"Thank you," she replied quickly tearing it open. She read for a few moments and then stood up, walking to the window, her expression grave.

"What is it?" asked Erik now also standing.

She folded the letter and slowly raised her head to him. "It is…Christine," she said softly. "She has…she has lost the child."

_Oh God._

"Raoul says she has fallen very ill."

Erik felt his chest tighten and turned away to look at the fire.

"And…," Laurette hesitated, "She can no longer bear children."

He closed his eyes and saw in his mind Christine's face. It was a face that wanted a family that was content to be carrying a child. And now that was gone.

"Erik…,"

"I must go to her," he said quietly. He turned and looked at her.

Her eyes darted down and then looked at him with sorrow. "I know," she replied quietly.

"It…will just be for a few days Laurette."

She nodded.

Now Erik's chest tightened even further. It was as if both of them were somehow separating. He would leave Laurette which would mean she would be available should Monsieur Girard stop by while he went to console and soothe Christine.

They looked at each other.

"Erik…," she began softly.

"I need to leave tonight," he said quickly. "While it is still dark."

She nodded and he left her alone in the Music Room while he packed a few things. Erik had Charles call Paul to borrow his coach and trustworthy servants to take him to Raoul's estate. When it arrived, Charles took his bag outside and Laurette appeared in the bedroom's doorway.

"Everything should be fine with the production," he said in an even tone even though his chest still hurt with the thought of Monsieur Girard most likely helping her. "Perhaps you can let Justine help you with a few things which will keep his mind off Andre."

"Perhaps," she murmured.

Erik inwardly winced at her response. Most likely because Monsieur Girard was a much better consultant to the production.

Among other things.

"Well…," Erik said, "I should get going. Thank you for…for being understanding in seeing her."

She nodded.

He gave her a quick kiss and moved past her. Erik could bear no more and the thought of Christine suddenly had him anxious to see her, to take care of her. He quickly waked down the staircase to make his way outside.

_"Erik!"_

When he turned around, he saw Laurette standing at the top of the staircase, her face full of concern.

"I-I love you," she said.

His heart softened for a moment. He knew deep down they would always love each other…no matter what their outcome may be.

"I love you too Laurette."

And without another word he left.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"I said _no_ visitors," a harsh voice called out.

Erik peered around the servant into the darkened room to see Raoul sitting at a chair in front of a window. He had just arrived at the Count's home and was not given a warm greeting.

Not that he would have expected one from Raoul's servants anyway.

"I-I am sorry," the servant said with a tremor in his voice. "Should I make him leave?"

Ever so slowly, Raoul turned his head and met Erik's eyes. He sank back in the chair for a moment, his knuckles turning white from grasping the arm rest.

"I knew you would come."

Erik slowly walked into the room but said nothing.

Raoul suddenly stood up and faced him. Erik studied the Count's face, finding lines he had not seen before. His eyes were dark and serious.

"She will not eat," he said in a strained voice. "She will not sleep. She will not…speak to me." His voice almost cracked at saying this, as if it were an admission torn from his soul.

Erik waited. Choosing to remain silent was all he could offer with Raoul's emotions. He still believed that if he had taken Christine long ago she would have been far better off and possibly not even in this situation. But he did feel sorrow for the man who looked so alone. If Laurette did not respond to him like this, Erik would feel the same way.

Raoul turned away and sat back down in his chair. "Take him," he said waving a hand at the servant. Erik remained standing for a few moments, allowing the silence to stretch between them but finally spoke.

"I am sorry."

He heard Raoul give a ragged sigh.

"So am I. Go to her."

Erik turned and left the room. Following the servant, he found himself on edge as they came closer to Christine's bedroom. What would he say to her? Why _was_ he here?

The servant stopped and opened a set of double doors to a much darkened room. Erik stepped inside and shut the doors behind him. The bed was empty but he noticed a chaise near one of the windows.

And there she was.

Christine looked nothing like herself. Her face was white with thin lips and eyes that appeared almost ghostly as she looked out the window into the rain pouring down outside that fit her mood so well. Her hair was disheveled, freely falling down past her waist. She held herself, softly rocking back and forth in her night dress.

"Christine?"

A flicker of recognition touched those eyes for a moment. She slowly turned her head and looked at him. "Erik?"

"Yes."

Her face twisted in pain and Christine suddenly rushed over to him. Clinging to him, she broke down while he held her and murmured words of comfort as he stroked her hair. Weak, she collapsed against him. Erik swept her up and carried her to the bed. Cradling her to him, he continued to stroke her hair and he kissed her forehead.

The hours passed with neither of them moving. His presence did appear to soothe her as she finally fell asleep in his arms. Erik watched her as she slept, taken with this moment that she would even be held by him when it was not so long ago he would have wept with happiness at such a moment. Yet he knew it was not the same as Laurette, and Christine brought him little comfort when thought about Monsieur Girard visiting the Opera House while he was away.

He did not know how long she slept, but he did know that daylight had turned into darkness. When she finally did awaken, he had to once more mummer words of comfort as she began to weep again. When she could cry no more, Christine slowly raised her head to look at him.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He touched her face, his fingers trailing down her cheek, feeling the softness of her perfect skin. She in turn touched his mask with her fingers finding their way to the back of his head in a movement meant to remove it.

But Erik pulled back.

"No Christine."

"I have seen your face-,"

"No."

"But Erik, you need to know that I can look at you. Maybe not the first time but I did when we…,"

_Kissed._

Erik shut his eyes briefly, remembering that moment. But he opened them once more and looked at her.

"I know you can look at my face Christine. But our relationship is different." He thought of Raoul who loved her so much that he allowed a monster to see his wife to help her recover. "You have a husband who would very much love for you to feel his face." "He loves you. You may have lost one life but do not lose another that is so close to you."

She hugged him tightly in response. "I-I know."

"Why did you choose him Christine?"

She looked at him with surprise. "Erik-,"

"Why?" he persisted.

"Oh Erik, it was not because of your face," she said touching his mask once more.

"I do not find that entirely true, but tell me."

"He made me feel so truly special, so different. You did as well, but in a different way."

"Yes, I recall the difference in me was taking you by deceit and force. I do not see why you would have not been charmed."

Christine's eyes widened but then she realized he was actually teasing. She broke into a smile and Erik let out a slight laugh.

"My dear Christine," he said brushing away the hair from her face, "You have always loved Raoul. If there is one thing I have learned in my life, it is that I know now love does not always allow us to choose." He smiled slightly.

The bedroom doors suddenly opened and Erik straightened with Christine still in his arms. Raoul stood in the doorway, staring at them.

Without a word, Erik slowly moved Christine away and got up. Helping her off the bed, he led her to Raoul. He took Christine's hand and then he took Raoul's hand, bringing them together. He held both of their hands for a moment while they looked at each other.

And then Erik stepped away to leave them alone.

But in that brief moment, Erik felt a curious sensation within him. As if something had overtaken him. Looking at both of them at one time caused him grief and pain. But he now realized he only felt peace. This was the way it should be, the way it was meant to be.

Christine looked at her husband. "Oh…Raoul…I am so-,"

"I know," he whispered back to her.

"I am so sorry!" she cried as she embraced him. "I-I was just so upset with-with losing the baby. No one could reach me. It had nothing to do with you. And now I can never give you an heir. I am so-so sorry!"

"Dear God," said Raoul in a strained voice as he pulled away from her. He cupped her face. "I do not care about an heir Christine. But I do care if I were to lose you. God, Christine, you are by far more important than any heir to me."

She looked at him with pure love in her eyes as tears streamed down her face. When Raoul bent down to kiss her, Erik took this signal to leave them in private only to find he was standing alone out in the hall. He wandered down the corridor taking in some of the rare paintings hanging from the high walls. Although his home was overdone, at least the Count had taste in some art.

"May I help you Monsieur?"

A servant who he had not seen before stood before him.

"Where is the regular butler?"

"I am afraid he was dismissed Monsieur."

"Really?" asked Erik somewhat pleased that the arrogant servant had been put in his place. "Why?"

"Apparently he treated a guest rather poorly a few months ago. It was Madame Duprey…have you heard of her?" He straightened. "Forgive me, it is quite improper of me to speak of such things."

Erik smiled. "I know Madame Duprey quite well."

"Oh, then you know of her servant, a man by the name of Charles. He was the one who referred me to this household."

Erik smiled even more. "I am certain you will do well here."

The man bowed slightly in acknowledgement. "Shall I show you to a room?"

"Yes, but first, I would like to study the art I see that the Count has in his collection."

"Of course Monsieur. May I suggest that you visit the Count's personal exhibit?"

Ah, yes, leave it to Raoul to have his own exhibit of art.

"Certainly."

Hours later, after being quite impressed with the Raoul's personal collection of paintings and sculptures, Erik settled into one of the enormous guest bedrooms. But it felt quite lonely without Laurette. He decided to wander back out and found the study he first saw Raoul sitting in when he arrived. Stepping into the room, he was amazed at how many books were lined on the shelves. There were some that he had from his own collection at the Opera House while others he had never heard before. He had not read anything new in God knew how long. Interested, he took one book off the shelves and began to flip through some of the pages.

"You are more than welcome to take that one if you would like."

Erik turned around to find Raoul standing in the doorway.

"Trust me, I have already read ever single one."

Erik looked around the enormous room that was lined from floor to ceiling with volumes of books. This was a little hard to believe when he was raised within society unlike himself.

Raoul laughed as if reading his thoughts. "As a boy, I had only private tutors. You have no idea how boring it was to be forced to read hour after hour."

"At least you were given the opportunity to study such things," Erik said reminding him of his fortune. The man obviously did not appreciate what he had. It made him arrogant in his mind.

"Yes, but if forced, then you do not enjoy what you are doing."

Erik could not argue with that point.

Raoul sighed and walked into the room. "I do appreciate all that was taught to me, but I wasted so many years of my youth learning about business and politics. There was no joy in my life. I did what I was told when I was told." He stopped a few feet in front of Erik. "That was when I met Christine. Not only was her voice beautiful but she was so innocent that I enjoyed immensely showing her all the things she had never seen. She looked at everything with such wonder that it made me begin to appreciate things I never realized."

Fine, so the Count was not as arrogant as he thought. But that did little to change Erik's opinion of the man in what happened with Christine.

"You still do not like me do you?" asked Raoul with almost an amused tone.

Erik closed the book. "And you have such a high opinion of me?"

Raoul chuckled in response. "This is true. We both hold in our minds what is right and wrong very differently." He walked past Erik to one of the armchairs and sat down. "But I must admit that we do have one thing in common."

"Christine."

"Ah yes, but more than that."

"What more could we possibly have in common?"

"That we would do anything in our power to save the one we love."

"I suppose that is true," replied Erik replacing the book on the shelf. An awkward silence followed.

Raoul gestured to a table sitting between the chairs that held a magnificent chess set made out of glass. "Shall we play a game?"

Inside Erik groaned. He did not need to spend any further time with this man. Even though he was finding that he misjudged Raoul on some things, he still had no desire to become his friend.

"No…thank you," he added on in an effort to be polite. "I believe I shall return to my room."

"Of course."

Erik turned to walk out the door.

"You do not take defeat very well, so I understand."

Erik whipped his head back around and narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"

Raoul sat back in his chair, folding his hands on his chest. "Defeat – it is not a word you even like to hear is it?"

"Are you saying you can win against me in chess that easily?"

"It must be the only reason for you refusing so quickly," he said with almost a smug look on his face.

Erik scowled.

"Well?" asked Raoul with a smile.

"Fine," said Erik as he began to walk over to the empty chair. "I will show you the true meaning of the word defeat."

Raoul straightened. "I do love a challenge." He reached out and moved a pawn forward. "Christine is now eating."

"That is good to hear," said Erik and moved out his knight.

"She is feeling much better," said Raoul as he made another move. "Thank you."

Erik nodded as he moved a pawn. "Tell me," he said in a low voice, "Just how did Christine marry you and then suddenly forget all that I taught her." He could not help the tone of accusation in his voice.

"She did not forget."

"Oh?" asked Erik as he watched the Count make another move.

"I admit that I was reluctant to let her sing very often. I did not want her to become society's puppet on the stage. I had seen it happen to other opera divas and I did not want her to be like them."

"Well, you did an _admirable_ job," said Erik with heavy sarcasm. He moved out another knight.

Raoul winced. "Yes, you may say the very thing I intended to protect her from ended up making her life even worse." He moved out a rook.

"I never would have guessed," said Erik taking one of Raoul's bishops.

"Well I did not do such a thing on purpose." He reached out and suddenly to Erik's surprise took a knight.

_Damn it._

"You did not want her to sing. That was on purpose," said Erik in a low tone. He was furious with himself for not paying attention to the board close enough. He changed tactics and moved his bishop.

"I just told you of my intention. I only wanted to protect her," he said as he moved again.

"Holding back the inner beauty in her will never protect her." Erik triumphantly captured Raoul's bishop.

Raoul frowned in response and studied the board for a moment.

"You know I have a point," persisted Erik.

Raoul moved his rook. "Do you need to continue to remind me?"

_Yes. _Erik tried to keep his thoughts to himself.

"I did not realize that the women of society could be so…cruel."

_That is because you are an idiot._

"She was treated indifferently by them. It was because she did not wear the right fashions and spoke freely."

_And you let them treat her that way. _

"I tried to persuade her otherwise…,"

_Oh please. _

Raoul reached forward once more and took Erik's rook.

_Damn. Damn. Damn._

"She just would not listen to me. She wanted her own friends and she began to try and impress everyone. They soon began rewarding her with invitations to parties and galas. She became more interested in trying to please them than herself."

_I could easily end this game by wrapping a rope around your neck._

"I tried everything until I began to wonder if there was a way to return her to you. Since I thought you were dead, the Opera Populaire was my only choice."

"I watched from the balcony," said Erik with a bitter tone. "She did not have any recollection of what I taught her."

"She did when she heard Laurette sing."

Erik only responded by moving out his queen.

"She was so angry and jealous that Monsieur Garier had selected her to be the main star," continued Raoul.

"How little she knew that Laurette most likely saved what was left of her," muttered Erik.

"I would have protected her from Monsieur Garier," said Raoul quietly.

"Oh yes, I am sure."

Raoul stared at him with a frown for a moment. "Fine then." He reached down and moved his knight…and took Erik's queen.

Erik cursed. "Where did you learn to play?"

"I told you. Tutors. I knew nothing else. Would you like to play another game?"

"Why would I want to play another? This one is not finished."

Raoul looked at the board. "You are not serious."

Erik's mind was racing and he moved the rook he had left. "Very."

The Count shrugged. "As you wish."

They played in silence for some time and to Raoul's astonishment, he suddenly found his queen in jeopardy.

"How did you do that?" he asked as Erik finally took Raoul's queen while cornering the king.

Erik sat back in the chair with satisfaction. "Perhaps it is because I have the instinct to kill."

Raoul shook his head. "Yes, you and I are very different. How one woman loves both of us will always be a mystery to me."

"Then that is one more thing we have in common," replied Erik as he stood up to leave.

"You will stay for the next few days, yes?"

"I see no need. It should be you taking care of Christine now."

"The funeral is in a few days."

Erik froze. "Funeral?"

Raoul's eyes turned to sadness. "Well…yes. The child was stillborn. He should have a proper burial."

"I am sorry; I did not realize that was exactly what happened. It was a boy?"

"Yes," replied Raoul now looking out the window and avoiding Erik's eyes. "It…it would help ease her if she knew you were still here."

"I would not be able to actually attend. You know this."

"Yes, I know it would be risky for you to be seen. But if you even just stayed here, it may help her."

There was a knock at the door and Erik stiffened.

"What is it?" called out Raoul in an annoyed tone.

"Mademoiselle Louise Clautier is here."

"Raoul?" called an older woman's voice. "Step aside," she said to the servant. "Raoul, you open this door right now!"

"My Aunt," hissed Raoul standing up. "Over there," he said to Erik gesturing to another door.

Just as the door to the room opened, Erik slipped inside what appeared to be a very large closet. While he was appreciative of the space in his hiding place, Erik was not pleased that he found himself trapped in the Count's home.

"Oh Raoul!" said the woman in an overdone sympathetic voice. Erik peered between a crack in the door to see a very heavy set woman embrace Raoul. She had her white hair pinned up in curls under a rather large hat. Her gown was low cut, ensuring no one had the choice but to see those enormous breasts. She wore too much make-up complete with a fake, or real, mole that posed as a beauty mark on her cheek. When she kissed Raoul right on the lips, Erik himself shuddered.

"Aunt Louise, thank you for coming. I thought we would just see you at the funeral."

"Oh goodness no! I had to see how you are doing! Such a terrible thing! How is the poor dear doing?"

"She is-,"

"She must be devastated! And here having a child was the most important thing to our family. And now she can have no heir!"

"Aunt Louise-,"

"I am certain she will be so depressed that it is hard for her to even get out of bed the poor thing." The woman trumped over and helped herself to a small bar. Filling her glass with a gold liquid, she downed the drink immediately. "Well," she said pouring herself another drink, "at least she will never return to the stage."

Erik narrowed his eyes at the woman.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh please dear boy, you cannot possibly think that she would return to the stage after such a devastating loss. She will need to focus back on what she can do in making a home for you. It is all that she can give you."

"Singing may be the very thing she needs," said Raoul with a gruff voice.

"Now dear, I know you are upset. But it is her duty and privilege to be the wife of your home. Not an opera singer." She smiled. "And I know you do not want to think of this now, but there are other ways we can find an heir for you in the future."

Raoul's face twisted in anger. "You would not dare suggest that I leave Christine."

"Oh of course not! But you should consider a mistress. Men declare bastard children all the time as heirs to their fortunes. It is not the best way of course, but it is better than nothing."

"Excuse me," said Raoul trying to restrain himself. "I need to go check on Christine."

His aunt put down the drink. "No, I will do that. She needs a woman's touch."

"_No!" _said Raoul sharply as he blocked her from exiting. She looked shocked at his reaction and he recomposed himself. "I am sure the rest of the family is arriving at the guest cottage. I would appreciate you seeing to them as you are so good in taking care of everyone. It will help keep them away so I can get Christine ready in the next few days for the service."

"Yes, yes. The family is quite a handful and most likely all of them will want to see the poor girl at once. I will keep them occupied." Raoul moved aside and the servant appeared at the door to escort her out. His aunt gives him another over exaggerated kiss before touching his cheek. "We will sort all of this out. We will find you a future heir."

After she left, Erik emerged trying to keep his temper under control. Raoul looked at him.

"Perhaps now you see why I wish you to stay."

"Yes," replied Erik flatly. "But you must do a better job than that in protecting her."

"What would you have me do? Push her out the window?" As Erik looked at him thoughtfully, Raoul shook his head. "Why did I even ask _that_ question to you?"

"Because you most likely already thought of it yourself. Although it is not a tactic I would have used on her."

"No?"

"Of course not. She would never fit through that window."

He looked at Erik with a frown.

And then he laughed.

"You are right of course. As a child I often had such fantasies about that."

_Well what do you know? Maybe there was some unfounded instinct in him after all. _"What stopped you?"

"When a child is whipped for missing one word on a spelling test, what do you think?"

"Fear is a powerful weapon on a child," muttered Erik. He was not pleased at all that he was finding himself relating to this man. "I should know."

"Care to elaborate?"

"No."

Raoul gave a slight smile. "I am sure I can imagine. But one's past does not condone murder."

"And so we shall never agree. But I will stay a few more days."

"Thank you…again."

Erik nodded and disappeared down the hall to his room.

Over the next few days, he spent many hours with Christine. Raoul was sometimes present but he often left the two of them alone, confirming to Erik again just how much he loved her to allow such a thing. For some of the time Erik would read to her from a book he had taken from Raoul's study. Other moments he would simply hold and sing to her until she fell asleep.

On the day of the funeral, he watched her as she emerged from the bedroom dressed in a simple black gown. Before Raoul came into the room, Erik reached down and kissed her on the cheek very softly.

"You will stay strong Christine. Remember who you are."

With tears in her eyes, she nodded and hugged him hard. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too Christine."

Just then Raoul came into the room and Erik gave him a nod that she was ready. After they left, he went to his bedroom window and watched as she stood solemnly near the dark carriage with black horses. Other carriages were also lined up with more of Raoul's family he assumed. All were getting ready to travel to the local church.

Two men appeared that were slowly carrying a very small, beautifully made coffin. He expected to see Christine break down, but she instead stood tall and welcomed Raoul's comforting arm around her.

He felt sorrow for Christine and hoped she would be strong for the years ahead. Erik knew he may not be around in the future to support her. She needed to do this on her own with Raoul.

For the first time in a few days, he began to really think about Laurette. He had been so preoccupied with Christine that he had not dwelled on his feelings about their relationship as of late. Or perhaps he had just been looking for an excuse not to think about it.

But sitting in the large lonely bedroom, he began to desperately wish she was here. He had spent so much time comforting Christine that now he wanted Laurette to make him feel strong. He wanted to share his thoughts about Christine and how he began to know more about Raoul.

Erik ventured out onto one of the upper balconies of the mansion as night fell. And it was then he noticed the stars. Those same beautiful stars he used to stare at night after night when he missed Laurette so desperately at the opera house. He hoped at this very moment she was looking at them right now, thinking of him.

But dark thoughts filled his mind when he realized Monsieur Girard may very well be with her. She had said she loved him before he left, but he knew things between them were strained ever since he killed La Carlotta.

And she had questioned his soul.

Erik never doubted for a moment that his soul was destined for Hell. But it was the first time Laurette ever questioned it. It tore at him as he wondered if she doubted that their souls were meant to be together. That someone like Monsieur Girard would at least be with her in heaven when she did die.

But he could not let her go. Erik loved her with all his heart. That had to mean _something_ to God. Perhaps God would never forgive him for the deaths but it was his love that protected Laurette. What kind of God would not recognize that? And was not He supposed to be all forgiving?

_Not to murderers, _Erik thought bitterly. He had read the commandments and knew them well as he had broken most of them. There was no way he could be with her after her death.

He sighed. Why did he care? But he knew it was because he wanted to be with her forever, not just in this lifetime. He would take what he could out of this life and he believed he was doing something good with the love he had for Laurette. And he would not let Monsieur Girard get in the way of that.

Erik knew he had to leave. Tonight. He would return to the Opera Populaire and beg for her forgiveness if he had to. And yes, he would even say he was sorry for La Carlotta's death if it would keep her love. But if Monsieur Girard made any further demands, he knew he would kill the man without hesitation.

He would do anything for her.

"Erik?"

He turned to see Christine, still in her black dress, the cape she wore blowing wildly in the wind.

"I thought you may have come here." She held herself. "It is so cold out here. Come inside with me."

When Erik looked back at the stars, she came up behind him and put her arms around him. "What is wrong Erik?"

He closed his eyes, enjoying a moment the feeling of her warmth embrace. Then he turned around and took her hands into his. "How was the service?" he asked softly.

Christine let out a breath. "It was…beautiful. He is at rest. It was good that I saw him buried. I know he is in a good place."

Erik nodded and looked back into the sky.

"You did not answer my question," she said softly.

"I miss Laurette," he said still not looking at her.

"Then you must go to her Erik."

He slowly turned his head to look at her. Although it was cold, her eyes warmed him. They understood each other in music…and love. He nodded. "I must leave tonight," he said softly.

"Come inside Erik. Let us get you warm before you leave." She took his hand and he let her pull him inside. They walked down a few flights of stairs until they made it to Raoul's study. She made Erik stand in front of the fire and told Raoul about his decision to leave. Raoul called his servants to ready the horses. But one of the servants shook his head.

"I am sorry, but there is another visitor here."

Raoul narrowed his eyes. "Tell whoever it is that now is not a good time."

But the servant shook his head again. "I think you should see this visitor. Or more importantly, I think _he_ needs to see this visitor," the man said gesturing at Erik.

And then Laurette appeared in the doorway.

Erik stared at her. Was this real? Did she travel by herself?

And then he found himself walking quickly to her. Laurette rushed forward and Erik embraced her so hard he picked her up off her feet. The hood of her cape fell back and he bent down to give her quite a passionate kiss, not caring that Christine and Raoul were still there.

He pulled away and framed her face with his hands. Her skin was cold to his touch and he cursed in his mind as she should not have been traveling in her weak condition.

"Why? Why Laurette did you travel here? Is something wrong?"

"I could not be without you," she said as her blue eyes filled with tears.

He hugged her again, happy to hear those very words. But he pulled away and looked sternly at her. "You should not have traveled Laurette." He looked back at Raoul and Christine who were smiling. Straightening, Erik took Laurette's hand. "If you will excuse us, we need to be alone for a few moments."

"Of course," said Raoul. "We will take our leave. But since you are now staying, perhaps you could join us later in the dining room for an evening meal?"

Erik nodded.

As they began to leave, Christine stopped in front of them and looked at Laurette. "I am so glad you came."

"I am sorry for your loss," she replied softly.

"Thank you. But Erik has been most comforting to me. It meant a lot to me that he was here," she said looking at him. Raoul kissed Christine's hand and they left the room, shutting the door behind them.

Erik pulled Laurette over to a chair in front of the fire. Forcing her to sit, he kneeled in front of her and rubbed her cold hands. "I thought you would be busy with the new production," he said quietly.

"There is no production."

He looked sharply up at her "What do you mean?"

"I told Monsieur Girard that we or rather I would not perform his opera."

_What? _"Why would you do such a thing Laurette?"

She sighed. "After you left, he began to visit me regularly."

_Of course. _Erik felt his blood rise in anger.

"I knew what he wanted." She looked into his eyes. "I knew what he wanted from the moment he demanded one dance with me. But I wanted the production so badly that I did not want to recognize such a thing."

"I know," he said softly.

"And then he was sitting at our table, talking with me about the production, telling me his views, how _he_ wanted things to be done. I suddenly realized what a fool I have been."

"You are not."

She laughed. "Oh Erik, please. Do you not see? All my life men have controlled me; from my stepfather to Monsieur Garier. How is Monsieur Girard any different?" Laurette shook her head. "I worked very hard to become the director I am today. But look at what I have done! I let my stepfather use me when I could have easily betrayed him by announcing I was directing his performances. I let Monsieur Garier use me for publicity when I should have walked away. And even now, when I am the owner of the opera house and should be in control, once again I allowed myself to be taken."

Erik let out a breath. He of course already knew this but his love for her only made him let her do what she wanted to be happy.

She squeezed his hands. "When Monsieur Girard was sitting at the table telling me how _he_ wanted things to be done, I became angry. At that moment I knew that I had almost sacrificed our love and myself for a production. I would not let him control me. I told him that I wanted to perform the production but there would be no dance."

Erik's heart leapt.

"He of course threatened to back out of the deal at which point I told him that I understood and my decision remained firm. He thought it was ridiculous that I would throw everything away for his simple request of one dance. But I knew for me, it was so much more. I will never let anyone control me again Erik." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Can you ever forgive me? I do not want to be used again and sacrifice not only myself but also our love."

Erik reached up and wiped a tear that had fallen on her cheek. "And what about me Laurette? Look at what I have done. You know I murdered La Carlotta and you can never forgive me for such a thing."

"I know you were protecting me just as you always have." She smiled slightly. "But you cannot protect me from myself. I had to do this on my own."

Erik thought for a moment how he was willing to beg for her forgiveness, allowing Monsieur Girard to continue his quest but eventually killing him when he went too far. He almost allowed anything to happen for her happiness. She was right. In his mind what he had been doing to protect her was only reinforcing her behavior. The cycle was unending. How ironic that leaving her at the opera house on her own was the right thing to do.

"You are right," he said softly holding both her hands once more. "I would do anything for you but I was actually losing the very woman that I had come to love." He kissed her hand. "I remember in the beginning the qualities I so loved about you. You were strong, independent, and I loved to argue with you even though I did not realize it."

Through her tears she gave a small laugh. "And I began to lose everything. All because I loved music and wanted to direct so badly. Never again Erik. I will only do what I want, and no one will make me sacrifice that."

"Not even me?"

She reached out and touched his mask. "I _choose _to be with you. I love you."

He rose up and pulled her to him. Kissing her, he knew in this moment that they were always meant to be together. They had both faced so many of their own personal demons and now all was at peace.

Peace.

He felt it again, that curios shifting inside of him just as when he had brought Christine and Raoul together.

"Erik?"

He realized he had suddenly stopped kissing her.

"What is wrong?"

"I just feel…," he hesitated.

"Feel what?"

"Blessed," he said, unbelieving he actually even said the word.

She gave him a glorious smile. "We both are."


	38. Final Chapter

_I need to start by saying that I struggled with completing this final chapter. I had debated for quite a while on how I would write it. Although some may not like this chapter, I decided to go with what has been originally in my head for the last few years as it was always meant to be._

Chapter 38

Erik had never seen so much food in his life as he and Laurette sat down to dinner. Well, perhaps he had seen almost as much from Maria when she prepared his first breakfast.

"I hope you do not mind," said Christine smiling now, "All of this is from Raoul's relatives."

"They use food as comfort," added Raoul.

"I never would have guessed," replied Erik remembering the size of his aunt.

"Yes well I doubt we will be seeing them…or at least for a while," said Raoul as he took a serving of ham from one of the servants.

"Why is that?"

"Because Christine is going to return to singing as soon as she feels up to the task."

"Really?" asked Erik somewhat delighted that Raoul had put his foot down on the matter with his family.

Christine smiled. "It is what makes me happy Erik. And I like to think that some of my songs just might reach the heavens where our son can hear." She had to dab at her eyes for a moment in an effort not to start crying once more.

"I am quite certain your voice could easily reach such heights," said Erik. He looked at Raoul. "Although I doubt your family took the news well."

"Oh they will come around. As the main source of family income, I believe I should start to use it more to my advantage."

Erik nodded in approval.

"How are you feeling?" asked Christine looking at Laurette.

"A bit tired," she admitted.

"Because you traveled when you should not have," said Erik frowning.

"Heaven forbid I would disobey my husband," said Laurette smiling.

Erik leaned down to her. "Yes, but I shall obey _your_ every command in the bedroom tonight," he whispered. Laurette blushed and he laughed.

"Enough of that," said Raoul with an amused face. "We are here to get rid of all this food, so start eating."

With so much food to sample, the dinner was not as quick as Erik had hoped, but he found it was the first time he did not feel like strangling Raoul. However, that may have been because he had his mind on other things as Laurette happily looked at him.

God she smelled good.

He shifted in his chair uncomfortably as his trousers were beginning to become uncomfortable with his growing need.

"Is something wrong?" asked Raoul who noticed Erik was not responding to whatever conversation they were having.

"No, of course not." _Unless you consider the fact that I want to take Laurette right here on the table at this very moment._

"How long do you plan staying? Now that Laurette is here you should at least take a few days to make sure she gets enough rest before returning to the opera house."

"Yes, that is true."

Laurette moved her hand under the table to Erik's thigh.

"Perhaps you could see a few things while you are here. You have not even seen our gardens," continued Raoul.

Now her fingers were massaging his leg and moving closer to a particular area that he knew was straining within the confines of his pants.

"Daylight is difficult for me," said Erik trying to concentrate. He tried to stop her hand with his. She merely smiled next to him.

"I assume it is a large garden," said Laurette in a sweet voice.

"Oh heavens yes," replied Raoul. "It has several fountains, beautiful walking paths…"

Erik now felt her fingers inching closer.

"I think we have just about every type of flower you could possibly imagine."

"Really?" asked Laurette

"Even if Erik cannot go, you should take a walk with us," encouraged Raoul. "You would not mind, would you?" he asked looking at Erik.

"No," he replied in somewhat of a strained voice. Laurette was killing him.

"Good," said Raoul smiling. "I will make sure we take a walk in the early evening. The light is absolutely beautiful as the sun goes down."

"Would you care for dessert, Monsieur?" asked a servant to Erik.

Laurette's fingers rubbed against the very spot that was aching so badly.

"No!" Erik snapped as he practically jumped in his chair and removed Laurette's hand.

"I am sorry, Monsieur. I will not ask again."

Raoul narrowed his eyes. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," Erik muttered. He was going to teach Laurette a lesson the moment they got to the bedroom.

"I think we just need to retire for the evening. We are both tired," said Laurette with an innocent voice.

"Yes, I think that is a _very_ good idea," agreed Erik in a low tone as he looked down at her. "Excuse us." Getting up was actually downright painful. He eased out of his chair making sure to quickly turn away from Raoul and Christine to save himself any embarrassment. But he was quite slow in walking.

"You sat for too long," said Laurette. "Look how stiff you are."

Erik froze and sent her an icy stare.

"Would you like one of my servants to run a hot bath?" asked Raoul.

Erik did not turn around. "No. Good night."

"Very well, we will see you in the morning."

When Erik was finally down the hall away from them, he suddenly pulled Laurette close to him. "You just wait until I get you into that bedroom," he said roughly.

She laughed. "Do you think you can make it that far?"

"You are quite right," he said and yanked her into the first empty room he saw. Shutting the door, he pushed her against a wall. His body was so hard and heavy that he could not wait. His mouth came down on hers with hunger while his fingers began to work the same torture she had inflicted upon him.

As his fingers felt her breasts through her dress, he felt her go limp so that he had to hold her. He untied the dress and lifted it over her head, only to quickly recapture her mouth once more. Laurette responded to his urgency with her own need and she slipped off his jacket, her fingers taking off the shirt he wore. She paused for a moment to step out of the crinoline and kicked it aside, returning her lips to his. She moved her hands lower until her fingers found what she had sought at the end of their meal.

Erik groaned and pulled her tightly against him. His hands were exploring her breasts, and then impatiently untying the corset that blocked his access. Tossing it aside, he bent down and began to kiss her breasts while she held his head.

"Erik-,"

He knew what she wanted and he saw a small couch. He pushed her in that direction, all the while his mouth was exploring every inch of her. As he lowered to the couch, Erik moved his mouth once more over hers and then pressed hot kisses down her neck. He left her briefly for only a moment to step out of his trousers. Then he covered her body with his. She was practically writhing against him as he rubbed against her. He pulled back to look at her face.

"What do you want?" he asked smiling.

"Erik-,"

"What Laurette? Can you not handle what you started?" He pressed against her, teasing her until he felt her nails dig into his back. "I could torture you for hours like this," he whispered in her ear.

"N-no, you could not," she replied breathlessly. "You would not last much longer."

"Is that a challenge?" he asked. He reached down to stroke her with his fingers and she gasped. "Admit to me that I am by far better at this game and I will give you the relief you seek."

"N-never."

"Fine."

He changed positions and lowered his mouth to her breast. He suckled while his fingers explored her most sensitive place. She arched up against him and he let a finger tease her where he had pressed himself against her just moments ago. Laurette was straining against him but he would not allow her any relief.

"Tell me," he demanded, "And end your sweet torture."

She gasped as he probed her entrance only further.

"Say it."

"Please," she whimpered.

Unable to deny his own hunger any longer, Erik took her pleading as submission and he rose up above her. Rubbing himself against her once more, he nipped her neck while his hands pulled her hips closer.

He surged into her and she cried out, clawing his back. He moved with deep, velvet strokes until he felt her tighten around him and she cried out again. It was only then that Erik let himself go over the edge with groan of satisfaction.

Breathing hard, he listened as their hearts finally slowed to a normal pace. To make sure he wasn't crushing her, Erik turned them on his side. It was a tight fit as the couch was by far too small for both of them.

A knock at the door had both of them quickly sitting up.

"Monsieur? Madame?" asked a servant. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, we are fine," snapped Erik. "Leave us for now please." He saw Laurette had turned crimson and he laughed. "You are too beautiful," he said as he embraced her. "But at least I won the game."

"Excuse me?" she asked. "I did not say you won."

"You pleaded. That was an admission."

"Pleading for torture to stop is not an admission."

He shifted her underneath him once more. "Well then, I shall just have to try once more."

When morning came, Erik was smug that he had proven his point with her. They had finally made it to the bedroom and slept soundly through the night. But as he bent down to teasingly remind her of his victory, she only barely smiled.

"What is wrong?" he asked.

"I am sorry Erik. Last night was wonderful. I am afraid that now I just do not feel very well."

"Then you will stay in bed for the rest of the day Laurette," he said with a warning note in his voice. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," she mumbled. To his dismay, she rolled over away from him and buried herself in the pillows.

He had hoped after a day of rest she would begin to feel better but it was clear as night fell once more that she was not doing well. She complained of her stomach feeling sick and she was irritable. The very thought of food made her almost run to the bathroom.

Worried, Erik sent for Doctor Charette. At this point she could not travel back to Paris and he would have no other doctor touch her. Another day passed and Erik anxiously waited for Paul. Christine tried to soothe him but even she could not get him to relax for one moment. Raoul also stopped by the bedroom several times to check on Laurette and Erik knew that he felt just as helpless as they waited.

Finally, Erik was relieved to see Paul's carriage pull up to the estate. He quickly went to greet the doctor.

"What the hell is she doing all the way out here?" asked Paul gruffly as he came up the stairs to the hallway.

"She came by herself," explained Erik. "She actually seemed fine a few days ago. It was very sudden."

Paul stopped walking down the hall and faced Erik with a frown. "One can pick up any virus very suddenly. Let us pray it will respond to medication. She cannot survive another illness Erik."

"Thank you for reminding me," he replied in anger.

Paul shook his head. "I am sorry. I did not mean to be so abrupt. I know you are worried and I will see what can be done. But I want you to stay out of the bedroom." When Erik began to protest, the doctor held up his hand. "You have most likely been in that room for the last two days. Leave me alone to look at her, alright? I do not have Mary with me as I had to leave her behind to tend to my patients, but you do trust me, yes?"

"Yes," muttered Erik. The doctor was probably right. He did not need to be present and ask him question after question. It was most likely better for Paul to be alone so he could concentrate on Laurette.

"Good," said Paul. He patted Erik on the shoulder. "I will be out to speak with you as soon as I can."

Erik nodded and went to Raoul's study. Sitting by the fire, his mind was filled with all kinds of horrible thoughts. He always knew she would die and that time may be now. He would have preferred for her to die in the opera house as that would also be where he would choose to end his life. Perhaps he could still take her back…

The minutes ticked away with Erik going mad. He just wanted to know. If this was her time so be it. Not knowing was torture itself. He cursed and got up to pace the floor. And then the door opened. Erik stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Paul emerge with a very serious face.

"Sit down Erik."

"No. Tell me."

"I would rather you sit down."

"And I would rather you tell me now before I lose my temper with you."

Paul sighed and took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes.

"It is serious," said Erik making it a statement.

The doctor put his glasses back on and folded his hands behind his back. "Yes."

"How long does she have?"

Paul frowned. "That is hard to say. Normally I would say about another six months but with how weak she is I am not certain."

Six months? That was by far better than he hoped for.

"She is carrying your child Erik."

"Can she be moved back to-," Erik froze. "_What did you just say?"_

"She is pregnant."

Erik sat down.

Paul pulled up a chair and sat across from him.

_"No,"_ said Erik in a strained voice.

"Yes."

Erik's eyes flashed with anger. "No! She said she could not get pregnant. You said the same. This is not possible." He could feel his temper rising, his hands were shaking.

"The body is a wondrous thing Erik. I have seen it happen before. It is rare, but there are times a woman who has not been able to conceive for years and suddenly when she has given up it happens. Laurette's infection as a child may not have been as bad as I thought."

"Not as bad as you thought."

"Well, no, as I said the body-,"

Erik stood up and stared down at the doctor. He shook his head and went over to the fire. Gazing at the flames, he still could not believe this had happened. He knew she was going to die someday but now…

_God, it was as if he was the one responsible now for killing her._

"Erik," said Paul's voice softly coming from behind him. "You can at least take joy in the fact that you created a child."

He turned around and narrowed his eyes at the doctor. "Oh really?" he asked with sarcasm. "Joy in the fact that the pregnancy will take Laurette's life or is it joy that she will die in childbirth. Or even better, _that the child will have a face exactly like mine!"_

"You do not know if that will be true."

"Are you denying that she _will_ die because of this?"

"No," Paul said sadly. "She is too weak and it will be a difficult pregnancy. I can only hope she makes it to the end."

"Only for her to die in birth."

Paul sucked in his breath. "Most likely, yes."

Erik shook with anger and went back to staring into the flames. "What about an abortion."

"What?"

"You heard me!" Erik snapped.

"She could have an abortion but-,"

"So do it!" yelled Erik turning around to glare at him. The child would be deformed anyway. He could spare it the life he had and keep Laurette longer.

"First," said Paul calmly, "I do not believe in abortion. I would be killing a life."

"Oh yes, God forbid you would take a life even when it is the right thing to do."

"Stop it Erik."

"The child will suffer. Do you want that?"

"You do not know if the child will be deformed Erik!" Paul's voice was now getting louder as he became just as angry.

"It is not your decision."

"Oh?" asked Paul, "Will you not give Laurette any choice in the matter?"

"She would agree with me." He actually was not sure about this but it was the only thing he could say at the moment to justify his thoughts.

"It does not matter anyway damn it! Even if I were to perform such an evil thing, the drugs alone that I would have to give her would most likely take her life! She is too weak to even handle such a procedure!"

Erik closed his eyes in pain. When he opened them Paul was about to go on but Erik held up his hand. He had heard enough and returned to the fireplace. Paul came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"_Do not_," said Erik in a harsh voice as he stepped further away from the doctor.

"I will be in Laurette's room when you are ready to see her," he said softly.

Erik listened to his footsteps walk out of the room. Once he heard the door shut, he looked at the fireplace mantel which held dozens of figurines, vases, and pictures. Most likely all of them were expensive or priceless.

Erik swept it clean in one quick instant, the items crashing to the floor.

He stayed in the room for another two hours at least, staring at the fire, not even saying a word as the servants came in nervously to clean the broken pieces of the items from the mantel he had smashed in his anger. He knew he should see Laurette but he was too much on edge. He actually feared he may say the wrong thing to her. And he had no idea how she felt. She may even be angry that he had done this to her.

"I hear congratulations are in order," said a soft voice that Erik recognized as Raoul.

"Get out."

"Usually the customary response is thank you."

_My response is to take that head of yours and stick it into these flames._

"I know there are no words I can give that would ease your fear," Raoul said.

Fear?

"That is hardly the word I would use," said Erik gruffly.

"You do not fear that Laurette will die?"

"No," said Erik sharply, "I feel anger at myself for doing this to her."

"Doing this to her?"

Erik turned and glared at him. "Yes, now leave me alone."

"You cannot possibly be serious."

"I am deadly serious. Get out before I throw you out."

"No, I mean about doing this to her."

"What business is it of yours?" snapped Erik.

"How could you blame yourself for such a thing?"

"Because if I had known I would have been more cautious."

Raoul had the nerve to smile. "I highly doubt that would have mattered. It would have happened anyway."

"_Will you get out of here?_"

Raoul frowned. "Why are you so angry?"

Erik took a step toward him. "Good God, you cannot be serious in even asking me that question."

"You knew Laurette would die from her illness one day."

"Yes and now I have sealed her fate!"

Raoul nodded. "But you have given her one last gift in her lifetime. No matter how it ends, the joy of carrying a life within her is something she thought she never would have experienced."

"I doubt Christine would feel that way if she heard you say that."

Raoul winced. "I know Christine is grateful to have at least had the experience. There are some women who have longed for such a feeling all their life, to know that that a child grows within them."

"Ah yes, and then your child died within her. I am sure she needed that experience as well." Raoul's face twisted in anger which only encouraged Erik to be more hurtful. "And it would have been the most perfect child. With your handsome face and Christine's voice, I can only imagine what he might have been."

"You ungrateful bastard."

"Ungrateful? Why would I even be grateful for the life I had?"

"Exactly," said Raoul in a low voice.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Before Erik had time to react, Raoul took him by surprise and shoved him so hard that his back slammed against the wall next to the fireplace.

"Now you listen to me," said Raoul with a low voice Erik had not heard before. "I know that you had a miserable life and to make matters worse, your first love ended up being _my_ wife! And yet for some damn reason you decided to stay alive even before Laurette. _Why_?"

Erik was seething and trying to hold himself back from reaching out and snapping Raoul's neck. "Well at least I disappointed you as well. That alone makes me feel better."

"Damn you! Answer the question!"

"I have already told you once that I am damned, so why bother throwing that curse at me?"

Raoul struck his fist into Erik's chin causing the back of his head to snap back. In an instant, before Raoul even knew what was happening, Erik had him pinned to the floor with fingers tightening around his throat.

"I should just kill you now," said Erik in a strained voice.

"But you will not," replied Raoul hoarsely as he struggled to breathe.

"Try hitting me again and we will find out."

"You love Christine too much to do that to her."

Erik came up close to his face. "That does not mean I will take any abuse from you and I can think of a number of ways to silence that mouth of yours for quite some time."

"_Then_ _answer the damn question_!"

Erik slammed the Count's head into the floor in retaliation for the earlier blow. Raoul shook his head in a daze but then focused his eyes back on Erik.

And smiled.

Erik was so taken aback that he hesitated when he had been thinking about striking him across that perfect face.

"Go on, do it," said Raoul. "That is, if violence is the only response you have to my question."

Erik stared at him.

"Well?"

"Because I wanted to finish my music," said Erik gruffly. "Satisfied?"

Raoul was breathing deep from his head hurting but he continued to look at him. "Why would you do that?"

"It is none of your business!" snapped Erik.

"Obviously you are too weak too admit whatever it is."

"_Because I wanted to leave something behind!"_

_Damn it._

He hated the fact that Raoul had just made his point. Erik let him go and slowly stood up. Brushing himself off, he touched his lips that were stinging and found that his lip was slightly bleeding.

Raoul groaned and rolled over. He got to his knees and used a table to help himself stand up while holding his head and glared at Erik. "Laurette has been the light to your darkness. This child was created from that union and your blood will live on. That is by far a better gift to the world than any music you wrote. You have just been too ungrateful to even acknowledge it!"

Erik walked forward and Raoul remained in his place, holding his ground. He stopped walking and tilted his head at the Count.

And calmly removed his mask.

Raoul choked for a moment, staring at what should have been Erik's face. But he straightened and collected himself. "Is that meant to prove to me the miserable life you had?"

"No," replied Erik quietly, "But it is to remind you of what you call a gift may look like."

"If my son had that face I would have still be grateful for his life."

"I highly doubt that."

Raoul frowned. "Yes. No parent should see their own child die. And any parent will tell you they would gladly give up a beautiful face if it meant the child were alive."

"And you call _this_ being alive?"

"If raised by loving parents, yes."

"God you know nothing."

"Oh really?"

"No amount of love from a parent could ease the life of someone with this face," Erik said harshly.

"How the hell would you know if you did not have that experience?" snapped Raoul.

Erik replaced his mask and walked back over to stare at the fire once more.

"If a woman like Christine would have been your mother, do you truly think she would abandon you?" asked Raoul softly. "She would have eased such pain. Can you deny that?"

Erik stiffened and said nothing.

"All I know is that my son is dead while you are in here being ungrateful for what you do not know you have," Raoul said harshly raising his voice once more. "Think about that."

Erik heard the door slam and knew he was gone.

Alone once more in his thoughts.

And now those thoughts included what Raoul said.

God he hated that man.

Erik sighed and sat in a chair near the window. It was night and he stared out into the darkness. It was completely black with no light at all. It was then he realized the clouds had blocked out the moon.

Just like Erik's darkness was blocking out Laurette's light.

He closed his eyes.

And then he was suddenly tearing out the door and down the hallway. He ran up a flight of stairs and stopped dead in front of their guest bedroom door. He took a few deep breaths and then opened it.

A lamp was on near the bed and he could see in the dim light that Laurette was under the covers. She lay on her side, her hands curled in small fists like so many times he had seen when she slept. Her soft breathing indicated she was indeed asleep.

Erik carefully sat on the bed and reached out to stroke her hair that freely fell down her shoulders. She snuggled deeper into the pillow and then opened her eyes.

"Erik?"

"Yes."

She sighed. "I knew you would come to me in time," she said softly.

"I would never abandon you Laurette."

"I am so sorry Erik."

"Oh God Laurette, how can you say such a thing? This is my fault."

She began to cry. "Is it? I-I have to wonder if maybe I just believed…well, that I-I could not become…,"

"What are you saying?" Erik asked as he gently touched her face to wipe away the tears.

"I-I just assumed that I could not after I was sick as a child," she rambled on. "And since I never, I mean it never happened with my stepfather…," she paused, almost choking on her words that brought back the horror she felt as a child.

"Stop," said Erik firmly as he bent down to hold her. He was stricken with how upset she was when here he felt this was all his doing. "We will face this together. The fault is mine."

"W-why would you say that?" she asked in a choked voice.

"I should have never become…intimate with you."

She looked at him and then all of the sudden she broke into a smile. "You would have not been able to resist."

His eyes narrowed at her as he tried to prevent himself from smiling. "Laurette, I should have been stronger…,"

"Oh please," she said now laughing.

"This is not funny," he replied but he was smiling.

"Erik," she said trying to grow serious, "Do you regret that we have been together?"

He sighed. "No, of course not. I just wish…,"

"That I was not with child."

"We know what this will mean," he said softly.

"It would have eventually happened," she said bitterly. "This has really been my entire fault. If I had not let Monsieur Garier control me, if I had taken better care of myself…look what I have done to us Erik."

Erik gathered her in his arms. "Look how far we have come," he corrected her. "God, Laurette, where would both of us be if none of it had happened?"

She held onto him tightly. "You are right. I may not even be alive at this moment."

"Neither would I," said Erik stroking her hair. "But now we are together." He pulled away from her and tilted up her face. "Instead of being alone when our final fate comes, we will be together."

She smiled at him and he bent down so he could claim her mouth with his. Together, they lay on the bed, holding each other while whispering their commitment in words of love throughout the night.

A few weeks later Erik and Laurette returned to the opera house once Paul felt she was strong enough. They had immediately made arrangements so that Gautier and Justine would be in charge of planning all future shows. Erik was hesitant at first about Justine even though he knew Gautier would not be able to direct by himself. But Laurette convinced him that this was in fact perfect for Justine and Erik had to admit after watching a few rehearsals that he had far more creative talent than he gave him credit for in the past. With Andre now singing most of the main roles, it allowed both of them once more to work together. And of course Justine took great joy in his ability to give orders to Andre.

It was Gautier that announced to the Company what had happened. Although they were in shock and desperately wanted to speak with them, Erik gave firm instructions to Charles not to allow anyone other than Justine or Gautier to visit. Even then, Erik only tolerated such visits to a certain extent. For now, his full focus was on spending every precious moment he had in this lifetime with Laurette.

They spent long days together. Sometimes they would read a book from one of the many that Raoul had sent home with them, or sometimes Erik would play at the piano with her next to him. They talked endlessly about the world of the arts, philosophy, and even politics. And Erik loved every moment of it. She was the most intelligent, passionate woman he had ever known. Day after day he continued to ponder how fortunate he was to have such love from her. He realized that he was indeed grateful for this time left together.

Grateful for his life.

As the months passed, the day came when Erik allowed a visit from Julia with her new arrival. She had given birth to a son they named Jacques which Justine proudly presented to Laurette. When she held the babe in her arms, Erik had to excuse himself from the room. Facing the fact that she may never even have such a moment with her own child was too much to bear. Worse, he was having nightmares that their child would have a face even more hideous than his.

Before they left, Erik did return to congratulate them and gave Julia a kiss on the cheek. She in turn hugged him tightly. "Thank you for everything you have done for us," she whispered to him.

He nodded and looked at Jacques. "He is perfect Julia. I have little doubt he will carry on the music that is so strong in your spirit."

"Among other things," said Justine grinning.

Erik frowned and looked at Julia. "Please do your best to keep him away from Justine's parenting ability. I doubt he has any." Julia laughed and pushed Justine out the door before any other snide remark could be made.

The days continued until Erik saw Laurette's body fully swollen with the life she held within her. They talked little of the impending event, but Erik did enjoy feeling the child move within her. It was truly a miracle that such a thing could happen and he found himself growing attached to this unborn child. He realized now what Raoul had said was true. Even if the child was born deformed, he doubted that now he could put an end to its life at this point. The child was not only part of himself but Laurette.

Paul began making visits on a regular basis as she neared the end of the pregnancy. In the last month he directed Laurette to full bed rest in an attempt to carry the child as long as possible. But Erik could see her growing weaker as the days went on. It was as if the child was growing stronger while taking what little was left of her vitality.

And she told him that she would have never traded one moment of it.

Laurette was thrilled to leave something behind and in those final weeks and she began to now talk openly about the impending event. Her light was fading but her spirit remained strong and she even began to sing to the child which reduced Erik nearly to tears.

One morning Erik was getting dressed when he heard a cry from the bedroom. Rushing to the bed, he found Laurette sitting up.

The sheets were stained with blood.

She looked at him. "I am ready," she whispered.

Erik closed his eyes.

Moments later he ordered Maria to call Paul. To Erik's dismay, Laurette was in a great deal of pain and he soothed her the best he could through each contraction. But she no longer cried out. Instead she endured the pain while tears silently rolled down her cheeks. By the time Doctor Charette arrived, she was nearly unconscious.

Paul ordered Erik out of the room and he numbly complied thinking that was the last he would ever see Laurette breathing. A few of the cast members such as Andre, Maurice, and Phillipe heard the news and gathered in the sitting room with Erik. Soon Justine and Julia arrived. Several times the door to Laurette's bedroom opened with Mary and Maria hurrying in and out with what Paul needed. At one point Erik saw Mary swiftly taking away towels that were soaked in red blood. Those in the room did their best to try and comfort him, but Erik felt…

_Nothing_.

He was completely detached from the entire event; almost unbelieving that it was happening. He stared out the window into the night and saw the beautiful moon that was full and so full of light.

"Erik?"

He turned and saw Christine in the doorway. He knew the look in his eyes said everything to her and she ran to him. Embracing her, Erik buried his head in the nape of her neck, breathing in her sweet scent.

"Aunt Mary?"

Erik raised his head to see Andre's face full of concern as his aunt had entered the sitting room. She approached Erik, her face was tight, her eyes sadly looking at him. "The child is breech," she said quietly. "Paul is doing his best…,"

Erik nodded. In his mind he had a fleeting thought that should the child die, he would take it with him to where he had in mind they would lay in rest.

"_Mary!_" shouted Paul and she hurried back into the bedroom closing the door.

Erik once more buried himself in Christine's embrace. He looked up once to see Raoul standing not far away. Their eyes met in silent understanding. He closed his eyes and held on to Christine.

And then the sound of a newborn's cries was heard.

Christine hugged him tighter in response and the bedroom door opened. She lightly pushed Erik away from her, nodding in the direction of the footsteps that approached. "Oh Erik," Christine whispered with tears streaming down her face.

Slowly, painfully, Erik turned to find Mary standing in front of him. Her arms held what he assumed was his child but the face was covered. Panic hit him hard at first followed by acceptance that he would not condemn this child no matter what the face looked like. Mary gave a sad smile, placed the child in Erik's awkward arms, and removed the blanket from its face.

Two beautiful eyes stared back at him from the most perfect face he had ever seen.

"It is a girl," said Mary softly.

Erik was dimly aware that Julia was behind Mary, smiling as her own tears rolled down her cheeks. He looked back down and opened the blanket further, revealing bright pink arms and legs.

Perfect feet.

Perfect toes.

He looked up at Mary. "Laurette?" he asked in a strained voice thinking she may already be gone.

Mary's face fell in response. "She…she has lost a lot of blood. I am so sorry."

Erik turned, looked at Christine and held out the child to her. "I need to be with my wife," he said softly. After she took the infant within her arms, Erik moved past all the visitors and went inside the bedroom. Shutting the door, he felt his heart drop at the sight before him. Laurette was lying in bloodied sheets, her eyes were closed, her face completely white with no life.

Paul was frantically trying to stop the bleeding. He barely looked up to glance at him. "You should not be here Erik."

Erik said nothing and went over to the bed. Sitting next to Laurette, he held her lifeless hand. His long fingers reached out and stroked her face. She was so beautiful, even with all the color gone, she looked like an angel sleeping peacefully.

Paul came up next to him. "I managed to stop the bleeding," he said with a harsh voice. "But she…she has lost too much blood." He ran his hands through his hair. "Maybe I could try some medication or I have even heard of some success with blood transfusions. I could-,"

Erik held up his hand and shook his head. She had been through too much already.

Paul hung his own head in defeat. "Alright Erik," he said softly, "I do have something that I am going to give her." When Erik looked at him sharply, Paul put his hand on his shoulder. "No, I am not…trying any further. But this may bring her around if just for a few…a few last moments," he said trying not to get choked up. Once Erik gave a nod, Paul gently took one of Laurette's arms and injected something. He left her bedside to open the bedroom door slightly, saying something that Erik could not make out to those in the sitting room.

And then Laurette opened her eyes.

Erik smiled at her, continuing to stroke her face. "Hello," he whispered to her. She smiled in return, struggling to keep her eyes open. Abruptly Paul came into view, placed the infant on the bed within Erik's arms, and quietly disappeared out into the sitting room.

Laurette's eyes widened and tears began to emerge as she looked at the child. She struggled, as if trying to speak and Erik bent his head to her. "Look at what we created Laurette," he said softly to her. "She is so beautiful." He reached out to stroke Laurette's hair. "Just like you."

Laurette swallowed and seemed to gather what little remaining strength she had left. "My…life…," she sucked in her breath and tried once more. "My life…is…complete."

Erik nodded, feeling the tears now stinging his eyes. "So is mine Laurette." She looked at him with complete understanding, her eyes not holding any hint of condemnation for his words. Instead she briefly closed her eyes and then looked at him once more.

"Then…you…know…what you…must…do."

He nodded. "She will be well loved," he said softly, still trying to hold back from breaking down.

"I…am…so…tired," she murmured, her eyes once more closing.

"Then go to sleep Laurette," said Erik quietly. "Go to sleep and be at peace."

"I…love…you," she said so softly that he almost did not know if he heard her say the words.

"I love you too Laurette."

And then she was gone.

Erik bowed his head and wept.

Quite some time later, he finally emerged from the bedroom and approached Raoul and Christine. At this point Christine was fully engulfed in tears, her eyes red from crying as no doubt Paul had told them that Laurette was gone. Erik held out his daughter once again to her. Realizing what he was asking, Christine shook her head, crying even harder.

"N-no, Erik. You," she gulped for air, "You will raise her."

"My life is complete Christine," he said. "You are the one to take care of her. I know now why you came into my life. This was meant to be. And I belong…with Laurette."

She still shook her head. "Oh Erik, please…no," she sobbed.

"Christine…,"

She looked up at him.

"If you love me, you will do this for me."

Still crying, she slowly nodded and held out her arms. Erik gently placed his daughter in Christine's arms. The child was sleeping now, and she was more beautiful than Erik had words to express. He gently stroked her cheek, feeling the soft perfection of her skin.

"What…is-is her n-name Erik?" asked Christine trying to gain control of her tears.

Erik gave a small laugh and smiled at his daughter. "Laurette of course," he said as he touched her tiny fingers that curled around his in response, "Because the name means Little Angel and that is how I shall remember her."

Christine smiled in response through her tears and Raoul stepped next to her to gaze at the infant. He looked up at Erik. "I am afraid that I cannot promise that I will not spoil her."

Erik nodded slowly. "That is…alright," he murmured. "Let her have what I did not." He met Raoul's eyes. "And I know you will make sure she that she takes nothing for granted. Christine has taught you that."

Raoul placed his arm around Christine. "We will protect and love her as our own."

Erik narrowed his eyes, trying to hide the slightest gleam. "I will hold _that_ as a promise," he said. "And that means using wise judgment when it comes to her future husband." He leaned closer to Raoul. "Take Justine as the perfect example of what should _not _marry my daughter."

"I heard that," said Justine from behind him.

"Good." But Erik turned briefly to give Justine a slight smile who gave a sad smile to him in return. Erik touched his daughter's cheek one last time. "Take care Little Angel," he whispered. "I hope I will see you again some day."

And before anyone could say anything else, Erik turned and quickly retreated to the bedroom with Paul tight on his heels. Shutting the door, Paul watched as Erik went over to his doctor's bag. Erik turned and looked at him. "You have been a good friend Paul. And now I ask you for one final favor."

"I still do not condone the taking of any life, however…," Paul's voice wavered and he cleared his throat. "I will not stop you from taking what you need."

"Thank you," replied Erik and he reached into the doctor's bag to retrieve a specific small bottle filled with clear liquid. Tucking the bottle in his inner coat pocket, he stepped past Paul and went over to Laurette. He picked her up and cradled her to his chest, his lips brushing her cheek. Then he tapped on the mirror and disappeared into the depths.

Once he arrived at his old home, Erik placed Laurette in his bed. Taking the can of oil that he used to light his underground torches, he poured it around the bed. He knew it was unlikely that the concrete floors and walls of his home would catch fire. The opera house would be safe. He made sure to put the small bottle he took from Paul on the bedside table right where he could easily take it when he was ready. He stared at Laurette for a moment who looked so at peace, as if she were just asleep within his bed. He walked slowly over to his writing desk. Pushing aside his music sheets, he took pen in hand and began to write:

_My Dear Little Angel,_

_I know you may never understand why I am not with you. But I can assure you that sitting here, at the hour of my death, I already know that I love you with all of my heart. Your mother saw your beautiful face before she died – I hope you find peace in knowing that she loved you just as much._

_There are so many things that I would love to tell you, teach you, but my time has come. I have placed my trust in your adoptive mother and father who will be with you always and show you the love that your real mother and I wanted so much to give you. _

_I have little doubt that you will carry on the music within our blood. And that gives me the peace that I seek. But I ask you to remember that love is by far stronger than music. While music can be a part of life, you must always remember to look beyond the music to the ones that can offer you that love._

_I have made arrangements so that the Opera Populaire now belongs to you once you turn of age. I know Christine will give this letter to you at the right moment in time. And while I have already left a part of myself behind by now having you as my child, I will leave you with a few items from myself and your mother so that you are reminded that we now sleep in peace. Because of the sins that I have committed I know that my soul may not be with your mother after death. But I do know that in my mind and heart, I protected her with all I had. _

_Of all the events in my life, I have now found what love truly is because of beautiful wife and you, my Little Angel._

_Your Loving Father,_

_Erik_

Small, feminine hands now folded the letter and a young girl of eighteen looked up to find a much older Christine standing before her.

"He loved you very much Laurette," she said softly.

Laurette looked down and with trembling fingers; she slowly removed the lid to the box that had been with the letter. She let out a breath as she lifted a mask out of the box to her face and began to cry.

"Well I admit that I did a very poor job indeed," said Raoul to Justine who was broadly smiling. The two of them were dressed in their finest, the ballroom of the Opera Populaire lavishly decorated with flowers and garland of every kind.

"Yes, I can only imagine what he would do to you if he were still alive today," replied Justine smugly.

Raoul shook his head. "It was my job to raise her. I should have been far stricter."

"That would have not mattered," said Justine laughing.

Raoul sighed. "Yes, I know."

Justine clapped him on the back. "My son is not _that_ bad."

"I am actually quite pleased that Laurette changed his ways at least," replied Raoul coolly.

"Changed him? Oh please, my son has always been a most conservative young man, just like I was."

Laughter bubbled up behind them and Justine sharply turned around to find his wife, Julia, trying to cover her mouth. "And just who are we discussing?" she asked smiling. "I seemed to recall that you were young, but I am not certain you were ever conservative…,"

Justine snaked his arm out around her and pulled his wife to him. "I concede that you may have brought out that trait in me."

Christine appeared. "She is ready."

"Are you?" asked Raoul smiling as he saw her already wiping away tears.

"It is just hard to believe that the years passed so quickly."

Raoul nodded. "She is a fine young woman Christine. I can hardly believe she is already so well known as a composer and so many want her music. Who would have thought that such a young child would take the music world by storm?"

"Erik would have," whispered Christine.

"Are we ready yet?" an impatient voice came from behind Justine. The young man was breathtakingly handsome with blonde hair and a perfectly chiseled face.

"Yes Jacques, I think she is ready."

"I want to see her."

_"NO!"_ they all said in unison and looked at each other. They all laughed.

Justine patted his son's back. "I almost gave up my own life in keeping her father away from her mother before their wedding ceremony. So I am certain I can keep my son in place with respect to the tradition."

Jacques rolled his eyes. "I just saw her last night for God's sake."

Julia sighed. "The two of you are never apart!"

"We have very little time left in working on this next production."

"Yes God forbid you would take more time to marry my daughter," said Raoul shortly.

Justine laughed. "I must say that you sounded just like the Maestro. Well done."

Raoul snorted. "I am certain he would have easily put your son in his place."

Jacques shook his head. "Please, you know I love Laurette. We are just very…passionate in our work." He gave a mischievous smile. "And with each other."

"Do you have the ring?" asked Raoul ignoring his comment.

"Yes, yes," replied Jacques.

"Everyone needs to take their places," said Andre who joined them.

"Are you referring to one of your five children?" laughed Justine. "All of them need to be put in their place."

Andre punched him in the shoulder. "I raised my children quite well, thank you." He looked at Raoul. "In comparison to others."

"If you are going to remind me once more that I was not strict enough with Laurette, I shall kick you out of this wedding," replied Raoul.

Andre and Justine both just grinned.

Moments later they all took their seats. The room was filled with hundreds of guests complete with a full orchestra that began to play. Raoul led his daughter down the aisle of chairs to Jacques who was blinking rapidly to keep back his tears.

Raoul looked at Laurette who was stunningly beautiful and reminded him so much of her own mother that day long ago. Her dark brown hair was freely flowing as she wanted it to be, her blue eyes like sapphires watching him. Raoul bent down and kissed her cheek, took a breath, and then handed her to Jacques.

Laurette gazed at her soon to be husband with love. He had always been in her life even as a child. Justine had purchased a home close by and the two of them would play together for hours. When adolescence came, she watched Jacques grow into a very handsome man and realized she felt much more than friendship. But Jacques did not show any romantic interest in her and was preoccupied with other women instead. Because they had music lessons together, she saw him daily but kept her feelings to herself.

Much to her Raoul's dismay, Laurette had many suitors trying to get the chance to court her. But he soon found a new reason to worry as she would not consider even one of them. Instead she focused only on her music. She found herself beginning to write songs and would spend hours on end trying to perfect them. Laurette considered anything else a distraction until the day came where she had all but completely isolated herself.

That was the day Christine told her about her father and she read his letter.

It completely changed her life. When she fully understood what he had suffered, she vowed not to waste one precious moment of her life that he had given her. His words about music made her focus more on other things in her life that she had forgotten or had yet to discover. She traveled extensively, finding such beauty in the world that she knew her father had never seen.

When she returned, Laurette remembered the day when Jacques had seen her again. She arrived to assist in a production at the Opera Populaire and found he was now a leading tenor in the current performance. During rehearsal, she noticed how easily he attracted women, all of them trying to get his attention.

But his eyes were only on her.

From that day on, Jacques courted her as no man had before. It was only a matter of time before they wrote their first production that received rave reviews from the critics and the audience. The publicity was immense and they suddenly found themselves famous. But neither Jacques nor Laurette cared about the fame. Instead they found ways to expand the limits of society with a focus on the less fortunate. They taught music lessons to children at orphanages. They even closed the Opera Populaire to hold a private performance for families that would never have been able to afford to see an opera. Laurette and Jacques found new meaning in their lives and with each other.

The day Jacques asked Raoul for Laurette's hand in marriage was not an easy event. Raoul knew Jacques was much like his father at one time and was hesitant to give his blessing. It was Christine that convinced him otherwise, pointing out that even Erik had finally given Justine a chance with Julia long ago. Justine and Julia were still married and strongly devoted to each other.

Now Laurette smiled as Jacques stood before her, repeating the wedding vows with a strained voice as he fought to stay in control of his emotions. When the time came to place the wedding ring on her finger, Laurette almost gasped out loud.

The ring was exquisite with sapphires and rubies, a unique ring like no other she had seen. She had always wondered what the other gift would be that her father had mentioned in his letter and Christine only told her that she would find out when the time came. Laurette looked at her adoptive parents and they nodded as if reading her very thoughts. She tried not to cry, but the tears started anyway. And when Jacques bent down to finally kiss her as husband and wife, Laurette knew she had found her soul mate.

With the reception in the ballroom of the Opera House, Laurette and Jacques laughed happily with their friends and family. The orchestra played and they had their first dance. A toast was made to them. The wedding cake was served.

As the celebration went on through the night, a very tired Laurette excused herself for a moment to rest. Leaning against one of the walls by herself, she looked around at all the guests and felt truly blessed. She saw her adoptive parents smiling while holding each other talking to Andre and Monique. And she saw her husband dancing with his mother who was simply shining with happiness.

She was about to rejoin the celebration when she suddenly noticed a couple that was standing far away on the opposite side of the ball room. The area in which they stood was somewhat darkened, but there was something about them that made her take a long look at them, as if she knew them. The man was tall with dark hair and from she could see he had a very handsome face. On his arm was a very petite woman wearing a beautiful dress. Laurette noticed her hair was not worn up as the woman tilted her head and looked back at her. The couple smiled and nodded at her.

Laurette smiled in return and was about to make her way over to them when Christine appeared in front of her, blocking her view. "There you are! With so many guests, how easily we lost sight of the bride!"

Laurette gave a slight laugh. "I was just resting for a moment."

"I am sure you must be tired after such a full evening."

She nodded. "Who is the couple standing over there near the wall?" she asked, her hand motioning beyond Christine.

Christine turned around. "Who?"

"The man and woman standing…,"

They were gone.

Laurette stared at the place where the couple had stood and looked around. There was no way they would have been able to disappear so quickly. And then it came to her.

"Mother, where were my real parents buried?"

Christine gave a sad smile. "There was no burial. After your real mother died, he took her down into the depths below this very floor. We do not know for sure what happened other than finding the letter with the box in the Music Room the next day."

"And you never heard from him again."

"No." Christine's face filled with worry. "Laurette, why are you asking this? Are you alright?"

But Laurette just smiled. "Yes," she said firmly now believing she had been given one last gift from her parents. "I am wonderful."

Christine smiled and the two of them walked back to rejoin the celebration.

As the years passed, Laurette and Jacques continued their work while contributing in numerous ways to charities for the unfortunate. They expanded their contributions outside of Paris and traveled to many cities. Together, they brought meaning to their lives and others through music, laughter, and…

Love.

-End-


End file.
